Welcome Home
by the.nerd.voice
Summary: Sequel to Holidays In Utah. After moving into a new larger house, Andy Flynn's son unexpectedly arrives home from the military. Though it was an honorable discharge, is there more behind it that he's letting on? Raydor/Flynn. Slight Sanchez/OFC. Complete! By popular demand, look for the next in the series titled "Shadows".
1. Chapter 1

Andy Flynn holds onto his wife tightly in bed. This is how they always slept. Rusty never understood it. He liked being sprawled out and was accustomed to taking up an entire queen sized bed. Drawing her smell into his nostrils, he smiles at her familiar lavender and vanilla scent. He snuggles his face against her hair once more.

"We need to get up." Sharon's voice, thick with sleep, sent shivers down his spine, "Time is it?" Her eyes still closed, she can sense the sun shining through the windows.

He groans, rolling to his back and letting go of her to check his wristwatch on his bedside table. He holds it above his head, "Almost nine."

"Nine? You didn't set the alarm?" She rolls back, looking at his face. There was something about her in the mornings, "Katie should be at school by now-"

"Eve said she would handle it last night." A guest in their home, Sharon's daughter's apartment had a major leak throughout the building. Some of the residents decided to stay as it was not harmful, but with Eve in her sixth month of pregnancy, the smell was intolerable to her.

"Eve?"

Andy nods, "You were sitting right there when she said it. She works at the same place, there was no reason for her not to be taking her all this time."

"Only an extra hour of sleep. She's three, Andy. She doesn't need to be there so early just because it would be convenient." Sharon pushes herself up, violet nightgown loosely covering her back, a black lace strap falls off her shoulder, "Provenza hasn't called yet?"

"Said he'd handle things unless a murder gets called in."

"I need to clean."

"We have a housekeeper. You don't need to clean." Andy places his hand over hers, "Come on. Lay back down. We're alone." He waves his eyebrows when she looks over her shoulder to him.

"That rarely ever happens." Sharon smirks, "We can sleep in."

"Or do...other things."

"If you are implying sexual activity, as you know, I like my tea first." She rises from the bed, walking around to the bedroom door. She pulls her silk robe on, "Want something?"

Andy groans, watching as she moves around the room, "Put the coffee on? I'll be down in a minute."

Sharon smirks, opening the door and pads down the hallway. The house they chose together was beautiful. Architecturally modern, with familiar comfortable accents. She and the designer went through the entire place making up each room. Something girly for Kate, of course, while the other two guest rooms remained neutral, Mac and Eve currently occupying one each. The crowning glory of the upstairs level must be the master bedroom, however. The bedroom Sharon and Andy Flynn share has rich woods, deep purple and masculine fabrics, not to mention a deep purple ceiling. The color not only was her favorite, but it relaxed her in a way. Andy never complained, he had a large television in the living room for sports and that's all he wanted. Bouncing down the stairs, she smiles at how clean and open everything is before walking toward the kitchen. She pauses when she hears a knock at the door. Sharon raises her eyebrows, wishing she had put on her glasses. She swings the door open to see a young man before her, "Yes?"

The muscular young man stands before her, olive green worn duffle flung over his shoulder and resting on his back. He looks to a card in his hand before looking up at her, "Is this Andy Flynn's place?"

"Why yes, it is. I'm his wife, is there something I could help you with?" She narrows her eyes in an attempt to try to make them focus more, "I can't see well, I apologize. Left my glasses upstairs."

"Oh." He nods, "I'm Matt Flynn."

Sharon raises her eyebrows, a smile growing across her face as she wraps an arm around the young man, "Why didn't you say so? Please, come in."

"Sorry about that." Matt nods. Larger built than his father, but the same height. His voice deeper and more refined as well.

"We weren't expecting you for a few more months. He's upstairs. Should be down in a minute. Come to the kitchen, I'll make you coffee...or tea...whatever have you." She nods, leading him toward the area, "Hopefully he brings my glasses with him."

"You must be Sharon." He finds himself studying his father's new wife, "Just as beautiful as I thought you'd be." He smirks.

"Oh?" Sharon places a hand absently to her chest, blushing, "Well...thank you, I suppose." She turns her back to him, putting on a cup of coffee.

Andy jogs down the stairs, "Before you touch anything, you left your glasses on your-" He pauses, seeing his son sitting at the kitchen island once he rounds the corner from the stairs, "Matt?"

Matt slides off his stool, "Hey, dad." The muscular man looks uncertain, the whole cloud of anger that Sharon once witnessed over a video chat vanished, not he was just a little boy who wanted his father.

"Holy shit." He rushes to his son, getting what he can pulled into his arms of the young man, "Matty." He whispers, feeling a tear escape from his dirt brown eyes. The animosity between them seemed to evaporate once the younger man's arms reciprocated the hold his father has on him.

Sliding her glasses onto her face, Sharon cups her hands over her nose and mouth, overwhelmed with the sight before her. She knew how much this moment meant to Andy. She knew it was the world to him, his son's forgiveness.

Matt moves back once they break apart, "It's good to be home." He nods slowly, "I was wondering if it'd be possible for me to crash here a week or so? Just until I find an apartment."

"You think you're going to find an apartment in a week?"

He shrugs, "Did before. If I'm determined, I don't rest until I achieve my goal."

Sharon offers him a smile, "Of course, you can stay as long as you'd like. I can see if Eve would mind staying with my parents-" She had given her parents the bungalow she was no longer using when her father alerted her that her mother wanted to move to be closer to them.

"Eve...your daughter?" Matt smirks a little, raising an eyebrow.

She nods, "Her apartment building had a leak. Not harmful to anyone, but she's sensitive to smells and she couldn't bare it. So, she's here."

He nods, "You don't have to move her. I can take the couch. I'll keep my things in Mac's room."

"You sure, son?" Andy tilts his head to the side, "We'll even put you up in a hotel if it would be more comfortable. A houseful of women isn't exactly-"

"Choose your next words very carefully." Sharon raises an eyebrow, smirking to him.

"Isn't exactly the worse thing in the world and it's great." He makes a face.

Matt chuckles, "Just the couch, if it's alright. I swear I'll help around the house while I'm here."

"Of course. This is your home, Matthew. That's how it is for all of our children, including you." Sharon smiles, touching his bicep and squeezing it gently to reaffirm her point. "Would you like me to order breakfast?"

Andy nods, "I'll have my usual. Matt, did you want something?"

"Oh, uh...Eggs, toast. Pancakes, sausage...some bacon..."

"Is there anything you don't want?" He chuckles, watching his son. He keeps a hand on the other man's shoulder, not wanting to let him go. "Only kidding. Go ahead and order, Shar."

"I'll get you some money-" Matt nods, reaching into his military issue green cargo pants for his wallet.

"Put it away." Sharon puts a hand up, dialing the number with her mobile phone.

"Your mother know you're back?" Andy picks the bag up, leading the young man upstairs.

"Uh." He shakes his head, "No. She wants to cut Mac off and treat her like a dog, I don't have time for her."

"Fine, but at least let her know you're back."

"No. She'll want to meet up and I don't want that." Matt shakes his head, "It will only make it harder." He looks into a room, "Kate's room?"

"What gave it away?" Andy teases.

He walks in more, smiling to the near neon pink trim and zebra print ceiling, sparkling chandelier. "She do this?"

"For the most part. I mean, Shar and the designer let her pick pretty much everything. I think it works." He shrugs, "I'm not sleeping in here, so I don't really give a shit."

Matt smirks, "It's nice to be home for good."

Andy pauses, swinging his body around, "You're finished?"

"Yeah. Honorable discharge." He nods, "So...I figured I'd set up shop here and LA."

"That's great, son. LAPD is always wanting to hire ex-military, if that's something you're interested in."

"I'll think about it." Matt knows his past may prevent that.

"Good." Andy grins to him, "I mean it. I'm glad you're home, son."

"Me too." He pauses, "Is it alright if I take a shower?"

"Of course. Towels are already in there in the closet." He motions for his son.

Matt nods, walking past his father and leisurely removing his short sleeved cotton shirt.


	2. Chapter 2

Puttering around her classroom, putting things in their places. Books, supplies, notebooks, nothing was ever out of place in Eve Raydor's classroom at the end of the day, even if it meant she was there another couple hours after the children had left for home. Glancing toward the door when she hears a rap against its frame, "Morgan, thanks for walking her over." The preschool and lower grades were in one building, fourth through with grades in another, and the high school in another still. "I'm just running a little behind."

Morgan waves her hand, "Oh, please. I parked over here anyway." She motions to the parking lot behind the high school where Eve taught.

"Anything I should know?" She smiles when her little sister finally enters her classroom.

"She had a bit of a...disagreement with another student. I had to write them both up."

"Oh, I understand. I'll let my mother take care of it." Eve nods, "Thanks again, Morgan." She offers the woman a smile, then waits for her to be out of earshot, "So...What did you fight about?"

Kate crawls onto a desk to sit atop of it, she folds her arms, pouting, "Monty said God only talked to boys. That the disciples were all boys so that's the only people God talked to."

She pauses, looking to her little sister, "That isn't true though-"

"I know. I told him that. I told him there were girls too. Jesus's mom...and Mary Magdalene..."

"You guys talk about Mary Magdalene in class?" Eve raises her eyebrow, thinking of the story of the prostitute turned closest confidant to Jesus Christ in the Catholic faith.

"Yes. How she did bad things, but Jesus forgave her and kept people from hurting her." Kate turns to face her sister while sitting on the desk.

"Correct."

"Monty said it wasn't true and that Jesus didn't talk to her because it doesn't say he did in the bible."

Moving closer to her sister, sitting on a desk near her, the older of the two watches the younger with a smirk on her face, "And you replied with?"

"I told him the bible is too big a book for someone as dumb as him to read and if he knew anything, he'd know there was more to the bible, but people chose what went in." Kate nods.

Eve can't help but slowly clap for the young girl, "Where did you hear all that?" She grins widely.

"Mac was doing a project. She had to speak for class and I listened to her practice."

"The Catholic church, when putting our bible together, were able to somewhat pick and choose what books to put in and which to leave out. Ones that were...more important to women and that showed women as central and powerful figures were left out."

Kate shakes her head, moving closer to her sister and resting her head on her shoulder, "Why?"

"That's just how the church is, I guess." There was more of an explanation to all of it, but she couldn't possibly make such an argument and expect a three year old to understand it, "I wish you wouldn't have gotten in trouble for it though."

"He's dumb."

"Regardless. I am proud of you for remembering all of Mac's senior project...and standing up for girls everywhere." Eve hugs the girl closely, kissing the top of her head, "Mac should be finishing up with practice and we'll get going."

Kate holds onto her sister, reaching a hand down to Eve's taught middle, "Baby was good today?"

She chuckles, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You won't tell anyone here." She shakes her head, "Why not?"

Eve sighs, her voice not much above a whisper as she speaks to her sister, "Well, when you have a baby here and you aren't married, you can be fired."

"That isn't fair."

"Nope, but since it will be summertime when the baby comes and we won't be in school, I miss that restriction." She smiles, absently stroking Katie's auburn hair, "And I'll be able to come back next year and teach again."

Kate nods, yawning, "Mac needs to hurry up."

"I know." Eve smirks, "Would you like a snack or a drink?"

"You have snacks?" Her head perks up, her eyes widening.

"Of course. There are some crackers in my purse."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The three-year-old hops off of the desk and runs to the area her sister told her of, "I don't think I like Monty."

"I teach Monty's sister, you know. Her desk is over there." Eve points. It was obvious that this is her element. The way she sashays around a classroom, knowing where everything is, and exactly what place everything belongs. It was like watching ballet.

"Is she nice?"

"Not particularly, but she doesn't think I know about it."

Kate grins, sitting back in her sister's high backed soft brown leather chair behind her desk, "What does she do?"

"She can be mean sometimes, that's all."

"Oh. Well, it must be in their family...Monty is mean too." She opens the baggie, shoving a cracker into her mouth, "Cause he has a dumb name."

Eve nods, "That's probably exactly why." She grins broadly.

Mac walks to her step-sister's classroom after coming in and showering after practice. "It's weird to be here when everyone leaves."

"Well, you don't have to do that too much longer, now do you..." She rises from the desks she was sitting on to stuff her grading papers together and into her tote bag. She lifts Kate's small back pack as well, walking toward the door and locking it behind them with the key.

"Here, want me to carry that?" The older girl reaches to take Eve's bags, "It's heavy. You probably shouldn't be carrying this."

"I'm fine." She shakes her head, "Really, come on."

"Yeah, but Eve, the doctor said-"

"Shut up, Mac. Please, shut up." Eve turns quickly to face her as they stand in the hall.

"I don't know why it's such a secret when you're here." Mac shakes her head, making a face at her step-sister.

"I'll tell you in the car."

"Stop fighting." Kate mumbles, leisurely strolling down the hallway like she lives in this place.

"We aren't fighting." Eve sighs, walking toward the parking lot, "We're having a disagreement."

Pushing open the door, Mac shakes her head, "Yeah, like why Eve won't say anything about the baby in school."

Pausing to look to her step-sister, the oldest gives her a look with a sideways glance, "Use your brain, Mac. Given my situation, you tell me why I wouldn't be able to announce that type of thing in a Catholic school?"

The girl pauses, sighing, "That's stupid. There are girls in my class who aren't married and pregnant."

Eve shakes her head, continuing to walk, "They were hesitant to hire me in the first place, given my background and-"

"All I asked was if I could hold your bag. I don't need to hear all of that. I've been there for all of that...most of that." Mac shakes her head, helping Kate into the car and buckling her up in a booster located in the back seat, "You know you shouldn't carry anything above thirty pounds and I'm pretty sure that bag weighs at least fifty." She rolls her eyes, climbing behind the passenger seat.

Kate swings her feet, watching out the window, "You are fighting."

After putting the large bag in the trunk, Eve slides into the driver's seat, "We aren't fighting, Katie. It's a disagreement."

"Well, disagreements sound a lot like fights." She smiles to them, "Stop or else."

"Or else what?" Mac turns in her seat to look to her sister.

"Or I'm calling Unk Louie."

Eve giggles, "What is he going to do to us?"

"Going to beat you up." Kate nods.

"Louie Provenza is going to beat us up?"

"If I tell him to." The little girl tilts her head to the side again, "But if you be nice, I won't tell him to."

"She's blackmailing us." Mac smirks.

"Jesus, you are our mother's child." Eve starts the car and pulls from the parking spot, starting on her way home.


	3. Chapter 3

Trudging through the front door, Eve puts a hand up to quiet the other two with her. She motions for them to listen a moment, laughing and a man's voice she has never heard before.

Mac looks down a moment, listening more intently, slowly realizing who it is, "Matt?" She calls out, edging back her step-sister with her forearm and begins running to the dining room, nearly propelling herself at him.

"Oh God, Mac!" The man stands, encasing his arms around his younger sister, lifting her up off the ground, "I've miss you so much."

"I didn't know you were coming!" She doesn't know whether to cry or just smile as pure happiness courses through her veins.

"I wanted to surprise you."

Sharon reaches a hand across the table, taking hold of Andy's as he begins to tap his fingers against the table cloth. She knows it means he's feeling emotional and he needs to suppress them while all the kids are there, "Are you with Eve and Katie?" She asks Mac.

Eve stands in the doorway of the dining room, holding her little sister's hand. She smiles to the man as he slowly releases Mac to the floor, "You must be the great Matthew Flynn that I've heard so much about." She extends a hand toward him.

Matt smirks, looking her up and down before taking her hand and shaking it slowly, "It's a pleasure to meet you. You're Sharon's daughter, right? You're a knockout."

"Oh...okay...well..." She smirks, blushing. Slowly edging Kate forward, she crouches next to the girl, "Matt, this is Katie. Katie, this is your other brother, Matt."

He nods, looking to the small statured girl. "I remember you from around Christmas. We talked on the computer. You made faces at me." He grins broadly.

Kate shyly leans her head onto Eve's shoulder, looking to the other man, "You still look like Daddy."

"And you lost that speech impediment." Matt walks around the table, crouching in front of the girl, "It's only been a few months, but it seems much longer."

She shrugs, smiling a little as she looks at the man, "Rusty and Chad are my brothers too."

"I haven't met them yet. You'll have to tell me about them."

"You're in the Army?"

"No, the Marines. It's different."

"But you fight with guns, right?"

"Sometimes."

"Then it's the same." She stands up straight, "Do you hurt people?"

"Sometimes."

"On purpose?"

"Yes, but they're all bad guys." Matt looks her in the eye, chuckling when she tilts her head as if to question him, "I swear it, Kate."

"Everybody calls me Katie." She nods, "All of my family...except my Gram and Grandpa call me by my whole long name."

"And what is that?"

"Katherine. Isn't it long?"

"Yes, dear, what were we thinking giving her such a long name?" Sharon smirks, still watching her husband through it all. The man appeared overwhelmed, but not necessarily in a bad way. Unable to say much because he is filled with such pride.

Matt smiles, "I like it though. I think it fits you."

"I look like my name would be Katherine?"

"No, you look like a Kate and you can't be a Kate without being a Katherine."

"Oh." Kate smiles, nodding before leaning in and hugging him tightly, "I'm glad I have another brother."

"I'm glad I have another sister." Matt stands, holding onto the girl, "Are you hungry? Let's go get some food." He walks through the doorway, toward the kitchen. Mac stays close behind.

Groaning a little as she stands back up, Eve looks to her mother and step-father, "I'm a knockout?" She places a hand to her back, puffing her lip out before giggling.

"You are very attractive, Eve. You take after your mother in that way." Andy nods, smirking.

"Thank you." Sharon nods, then look to her husband, "You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm just glad he's home." He smiles to his wife, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the knuckle.

"Kate has taken to him well."

Eve nods, "He seems...ridiculously great with kids. Is there a reason why?"

Andy shakes his head, "Not that I know of. Usually it's just one of those things. Either you're good with kids, or you aren't."

"That seemed a little more than that to me though." She shrugs, taking a seat next to her mother, "What's to eat out there?"

"Just pizza. Matt really wanted pizza, so we got pizza. Two pizzas. I'm not eating one with entirely too many toppings." Sharon shakes her head, reaching over and placing her palm against her daughter's slightly extended, firm middle, "How was today?"

"Fine." Eve nods, "Class is stressful. All of the classes are getting excited because they're about to leave for vacation and it's think all their brains turned off at once...Sorry, can't retain anymore right now. Out on vacation."

"How much longer?" She smirks, feeling a soft nudge against her hand as it rests on her daughter's belly.

"Three weeks. Mac gets out next week." She glances to her mother's hand, then to her face, "Having fun?"

"With my grandchild? Always." Sharon grins, sitting back.

Andy rises from his seat, "Want another piece, Shar? Eve want me to get you a slice?"

"Yes, plain cheese, please." Eve nods, "And yes, she wants another slice."

"I can answer for myself." Sharon gives her a look.

"You always say no, then you get up in ten minutes saying you should have taken another piece. Take it now, while it's being offered to you, and save yourself a trip."

Andy nods, taking their plates into the other room.

Eve waits until he's out of earshot before speaking quietly to her mother, "Why won't you tell him that you think something's up with Matt?"

"What makes you think I believe that?" Sharon begins to shake her head.

"Mother, you have a terrible poker face."

She sighs, "He's so happy, Evey. I can't...I can't do that."

"Fine, but what do you think is wrong?"

"I don't know yet. He was unable to contact anyone from home for three years. Three years, Evey. That's...crazy. I think things had to have happened in those three years and I'm going to find out what they are." She sighs, "I don't like him staying here, but I'm not going to say that to Andy...I won't say that to Andy."

Eve furrows her brow slightly, "Why don't you want him staying here?"

"I don't know yet."

"Just a feeling?"

"Detective's intuition, I suppose." Sharon nods, "Listen, you'll tell me if you see anything out of the ordinary, right?"

"Mother, I look at a three year old every single day whose mother was fifty when she had her...that's out of the ordinary. How Matt Flynn is acting...something is just damned odd and I can't put my finger on it."

"Is that a yes?"

"You'll probably see it at the same time I do, but yes." Eve sighs, "I wish I wasn't feeling like this around him."

"As do I, but being quiet that long, Evey...that's what worries me, the psychological effects from it all..."

"Yeah, but he's also your step-son now. If Andy treated me or Chad like that..."

"I'm not treating him any differently, I'm just observing...and taking notes. I'm being careful with what I say around him, right now. I can't be as-"

"Sarcastic?" Eve nods slowly.

"Exactly. I don't know how he is going to take things...and with the strained relationship he has with Andy to begin with, I don't want to be the one to say or do something that's going to make..." She shrugs.

"Make him go off the deep end, want to murder our entire family, hold us all hostage at gunpoint, slit our throats while we sleep-"

"I was going to say leave...What goes on in your head?"

"You'd be surprised." Eve smirks.

Sharon smiles, reaching up to stroke the young woman's hair as she once did when she was small, "You look tired, Evey."

"Yeah, but I have to eat, so...your husband is really slow with-"

"I heard that." Andy grins, returning with their plates, "It was a little cold. I threw it in the oven for a few minutes."

"I keep him around for some things." Sharon grins, "Is Katie okay out there?"

"Yeah, she's sitting on the kitchen counter eating pizza with the kids."

"The kids..." Eve smirks.

"My kids." Andy grins, nodding.

"I'm glad you're happy, Andy." The younger woman sits up, folding her pizza in half before taking a bite.

He nods, "Everything feels...right."

Sharon watches Andy intently, realizing she's probably never seen him so elated in all his life. She thinks of the shortcomings and suspicions she has of the young man who has made her husband's life feel so complete. This was going to be harder than originally thought.


	4. Chapter 4

_The dark tans of the dirt home, covered in bright native fabrics. Sofas and a television, like one would find in America, but it is very obvious this isn't home. A young woman, covered in usual female Arabic attire, sits on the floor with a toddler, they play games with their hands, giggling together._

_A man enters, dressed in American army fatigue pants, but a plain khaki colored short sleeved shirt. "Aman, get the baby. Let's go."_

"_What's wrong? What's going on?" Her English was nearly perfect. She stands, bringing the girl to her hip._

"_You need to go. The Kundu are right on our heels. They'll be here within twenty minutes. You need to go and get things together and get the baby out of here." The man nods, "I'll take you both to base with me."_

"_You know that won't work. You'll be the laughing stock of your entire-"_

"_I don't care. I'm getting you and our daughter safe."_

_The woman, Aman, shakes her head, "This needs to happen. I won't be allowed in your country. Neither will-"_

"Kalila!" Matt sits up on the sofa, sweat dripping from his brow, "Shit." He whispers to himself, turning around on the sofa to see if he sweat through the cushions. Standing after he realizes he didn't. He walks to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Sharon sits at the island in the kitchen, sipping a mug of tea and reading over a file from work. Noticing the young man, she tilts her head to the side and watches intently, "Matthew? Are you alright?" She furrows her brow.

He doesn't jump, but simply stands up a little straighter before turning, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You're sweating...profusely. Are you positive you're okay?" She stands, taking a dishtowel from the drawer and drenching it, then carefully placing it against his forehead.

"Night sweats. Got them ever since I was a kid." Matt sighs, watching the woman in front of him. His mother never would have done this. It wasn't that she didn't love he and his sister, she was just never very good at showing it. The only thing she showed well was her anger at their father.

Standing in silence for a few moments, Sharon smiles to him, taking note of his chiseled physique. He was clearly Andy's son. There was no doubt about it. Same eyes, same smile, everything. "I hope you understand just how much your presence here means to our family."

"It's my family too." He smiles a little, "And that Katie...she's a firecracker."

She smirks, "I'm raising a monster, if you ask me."

"Well, I like that monster." Matt nods, "Reminds me of Mac when she was little."

"Quiet Mac?" Sharon raises an eyebrow.

"Quiet? She's quiet around here?" He chuckles.

She nods, "Probably has something to do with the abuse she sustained with-" Sharon stops herself, not wanting to make the young man angry.

"My mother." Matt's smile fades, nodding a little, "It's okay. I just...I wish I knew, is all." He picks his hand up to take the towel from his head, "Has my mother attempted to contact you or Dad?"

Sharon shakes her head slowly, "There's no need. She cut Mac off from the rest of your family entirely. She wouldn't call around and look for her."

He shrugs, "Thought maybe she'd at least care about where her daughter is."

"I don't know what to tell you. I apologize, Matthew."

"For what?"

"When you arrive home after not speaking to anyone for three years, you don't expect to hear that your mother has turned into a lunatic, religious zealot. So much so that she cut off all contact with her only daughter." Sharon sighs, "So, for that, I'm sorry."

Matt shakes his head, "Nothing you did. She'll learn. I mean, I miss speaking to my mother, sure, but Mac means more to me. She always has...even though she probably doesn't know it." He sighs, glancing to her, "That sounds terrible, doesn't it..."

She shakes her head, returning to her seat, "You now know what your mother has put your sister through, it must be a difficult situation for you."

He nods, "I don't want my mother to know that I'm home. I don't want to speak with her...or even look at her. No one hurts their kids like that. No one." Matt sighs, "Excuse me. I'm going to go have a cigarette outside before I lay back down." He walks to the front door, obtaining his cigarettes from his jacket pocket and lighting one as he sits on the stairs to the house.

Sharon sighs, slowly cleaning up her mug and putting the files back together carefully. She climbs the stairs and peeks into each room as she walks past them. She smiles a little more after seeing each of her daughters, including her step-daughter.

Mac sits up in her bed, reading through a thick teenage novel. The pages of the book being lit by a dim booklight clipped onto the book itself. She tilts her head to the side, smiling a little.

"Mac?" She smiles, knocking softly.

Jumping ever so slightly, Mac glances up at the doorway, laughing at herself, "Sorry, I know I should be-"

"Would you mind if we talked a moment?" Walking in more, Sharon gazes around the room, smiling at the posters on the walls. Some pop stars, some movies, some television shows, and even a few scantily clad women, however all the posters were nicely framed before they were hung. It makes them appear less tacky, and almost like a works of art.

Mac nods, almost absently as she slips her string-like bookmark between the pages of the book, closing it and looking at the woman, "This is about Matt, isn't it..." It wasn't a question, she could tell that Sharon didn't know what to make of the man.

Surprised the girl could tell, Sharon nods, "Partially, Yes." Sitting at the foot of the teen's bed, she smiles to her, "Can you tell me more about him? I don't want it to seem like I'm prying and I think he may feel trapped if I just outright ask him."

"Oh." She grins, "His favorite color is green."

Leaning forward ever so slightly, nodding, "Okay. What about his time here before he left?"

"He just graduated high school when he went into training. They saw something in him that they put him on a special forces squad...or team...whatever they call it." Mac shrugs, "Mom didn't want him to go and I remember her pleading with him to change his mind, but...once Matty makes his mind up, that's it. There's no changing it."

Sharon smiles, "Has he ever spoken to you about the way he was living overseas or what the government had him doing over there during your video chats?"

The teenager shakes her head, "No. I remember him saying he signed up again. He sent me a letter once...he wasn't supposed to and I couldn't tell mom because she would try to write him back and...he'd get in a lot of trouble." She looks her step-mother in the eye, "They were only going to have him serve one tour and let him off...it was a privilege he had being a part of the special team thing. He signed up again though. Said he had other priorities now and that he'd like to stay in the same city. I don't know much about it."

"Is that what the letter said?"

"Some of it. It mostly said how hot it was there and some of the guys in his squad." She shrugs, "Why?"

"Maybe nothing." Sharon offers her a small smile, folding her arms against her chest, "Does the word...or maybe name...Kalila mean anything to you? Did Matthew mention it in any of his letters?" She was sure that's what he said, shouted. He thought she didn't catch it, but everything in her power kept her in that chair in stool in the kitchen.

Mac shakes her head slowly, "No, why?"

"No reason. Don't worry about it." She stands, pulling her sweater around her more. Sharon leans over, kissing Mac on her head, at the hairline, "Try to get some sleep?"

"Rusty coming tomorrow?"

"Of course. He comes every week and-" Sharon pauses, realization washing over her face, "He hasn't a place to sleep."

"I'll stay with Kate. He can sleep in here. It's only the weekend." Mac shrugs, "Or we can both stay in here. It's a full size bed and I'm not going to touch him...more or less let him touch me." She laughs lightly at herself, "We can figure something out when he gets here, it's no big deal."

"Thank you." She nods, "Now, get some sleep, would you?"

The teen nods, "Good night, Sharon." She shifts lower on her bed, pulling the covers up to her shoulders.

"Night." Sharon nods, flicking the switch at the door to turn her light off before closing the door behind her. "I need to figure out what that name means." She mutters to herself. She hates that she doesn't trust her husband's only son. Something about him wasn't right, mentally speaking. She was no expert, but Sharon knows that she is the only one that can make the situation better.


	5. Chapter 5

"Matt's home?" Louie Provenza looks up from his desk, newspaper in his hands, "When did he get in? I don't remember you saying anything about it." He fluffs out the paper, his back hunched over as he reads.

"Yesterday afternoon." Andy nods, leaning back in his chair, "Three years. It was like...there was no anger. There was no...nothing. He was just there and smiling and..." He shrugs, nearly overcome for words. "You should have seen Mac-"

"Happy?" Provenza raises an eyebrow, smirking.

"Oh God, she didn't even want to let him go."

"How did the Captain and Kate take it? That was their first time meeting him, right?"

"Well, they spoke over the-" He motions with his hand, "The computer thing. He seems to like the both of them. Picked Kate right up and carried her around the kitchen with him. Cut her pizza up before she ate it."

"He carried Sharon around the kitchen?" Louie teases.

"Kate." Andy rolls his eyes, toothpick resting at the corner of his mouth, "I thought the idea of having another brother would be too much for her. She has Chad and Rusty already. Matt seemed to fit right in." He shrugs, "I can't ask for anything better."

"You have a son, Lieutenant Flynn?" Sykes leans over, looking at the two older men as they converse. She brushes her new sweeping fringe back behind her ear, "I thought you only had Mac and of course Kate with the Captain."

"It's bad luck to talk about your kids when they're overseas...really anyone while they're overseas." He nods, "That's probably why you've never heard me talk about him. We weren't speaking much before that, but he's been completely unable to be reached for the past three years."

"Why though?"

"He isn't able to talk about it." Andy looks at the young woman, "He's moving back. Looking for apartments."

Louie picks his head up more, "Sometimes the military will offer living expenses...he's staying on your couch?"

"Yeah, only because he declined Eve's offer. She was going to stay in Katie's room."

Sanchez glances over from his computer screen, "Why is Eve at your house?" His mind instantly traveling to his child growing within the young woman's womb, "She okay?"

"Yeah, there was a leak in the apartment building. It wasn't dangerous, but the smell was making her nauseous." Andy shrugs, "I walked up there to get her things, I didn't smell a damn thing. You know how pregnant women are."

"She didn't call me or anything." The younger man pauses, shaking his head, "How long has she-"

"Don't think too much into it, Julio. It actually helps us out. She drives Katie and Mac to school everyday. Benefits of teaching at the same school as them, you know?" Andy looks to him, "She's been there a few weeks..."

"I've been working overtime here. I go home and I sleep." Sanchez looks back to his screen, the feeling of guilt rising in him, "I'm not ignoring her. I hope she knows that." His voice ended softer than he expected.

"I don't care what's going on between the two of you. That's for you to worry about."

"I wasn't saying you did."

Provenza shakes his head, "Hurt that girl and you will have the wrath of the Captain down your back, not to mention a few of us here." He sighs, "Make more of an effort, Julio. End of discussion."

"Thank you." Sharon Flynn walks through her office doors with DDA Hobbs, "I'm sure it will seal up the case."

"Did you expect any less?" Andrea grins to her, "How's Kate and Eve?"

"Great, they're both fantastic." She nods, walking her toward the elevator. "You should visit. Come see the new house. I'm certain Kate would want to show you her room." Sharon offers her a smile.

Hobbs nods slowly, "I may take you up on that."

"Not to mention that Matt is back from overseas. Dinner tomorrow? You'll get to see Rusty."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"Absolutely. We can have Italian. I'll have Andy cook something...Do you like Italian?" Sharon doesn't have many friends, but always feels as if she neglects them when they're in the building. Andrea Hobbs is no exception. Gavin Baker was always easier though. Not that she had to impress Andrea over Gavin, but she had known Gavin much longer. Andrea has only been a close friend for a few years.

Andrea holds the briefcase her father had given to her when she graduated law school so many years before, "I'd love to." She nods, "I'll bring a dessert."

"Great." Sharon grins, nodding, "I'll see you then." She absently waves by picking her hand up and flexing her fingers after the woman boards the elevator car. She spins, returning to the murder room, "Anything come in?"

"No, Captain. We're just here to earn a paycheck right now." Michael Tao shakes his head, turning his head from his computer monitor to face her, "With Assistant Chief Taylor out for his surgery in his knee, we haven't been assigned anything."

"When is he due back?" She shoves her hands into the pockets of her blazer, tilting her head to the side as she speaks to the man.

"The healing time for surgery on one's torn meniscus tendon can last anywhere from three to six weeks. He could be out longer or be back sooner, depending on how torn it actually was."

"When is he due back?" Sharon smirks, asking again.

"With healing time-" Mike begins again.

"His surgery was a week ago, ma'am. He should be back by the end of the month...probably." Julio speaks up, cutting the other man's probable long winded explanation short.

"Hey!" Tao smirks to him.

"I wanted her to know sometime this year."

Sharon grins, shaking her head, "Well then, I suppose we can all go home then. No use in sitting around here, soaking up the department's money." She turns on her heel, "Have a good day everyone."

"But, ma'am-" Julio stands.

Sharon pauses in her stride, glancing to him over her shoulder, "Yes, Detective?"

He looks at her a moment before shaking his head, "Never mind, ma'am. It was nothing."

She watches as he slowly returns to his seat and nods, continuing on her way.

"What was that about?" Sykes speaks quietly to her work partner. She folds her arms, a display of concern shows across her face.

"I'm trying to work more hours for Eve and the baby. I want to make sure she has everything she needs."

"The baby? You know it's a girl?"

"No, I mean Eve." Julio shakes his head, "I want to make sure she has all the things she needs for the baby. I can't do that without money."

Amy nods, "I understand."

"She hasn't called me to tell me anything. No doctor appointments, nothing, not even that there was something wrong in her building that was making her sick." His voice is low, not exactly wanting his coworkers to hear him. Sykes was different though. Though she was young, he had come to trust her since they were usually partnered together on calls. He was never one to tell his business, but he had to tell a neutral party his point of view, "I want to be there, but how can I if she won't tell me anything."

Sykes sits up straight, "Maybe call her instead of her calling you...maybe go to the Captain's house...or take her lunch at work. She's back teaching, right?"

Sanchez nods, "At St. Joseph's. She said she had to hide the whole thing because she can be fired for it, being at a Catholic school." He glances to the woman next to him, "I don't want that to happen, but I don't want her to feel she needs to hide it either."

Watching him more, a smile creeps across Amy's face, "You miss her." When he doesn't answer, turning his attention back to his computer, she continues, "You miss her and you wanted to marry her so this wouldn't happen. You knew this would happen."

"I knew my role in it all."

"And that was?"

"You don't need to know."

"You were her rebound. It was like...a little over a year since we found her in that alley and she was in that hospital. You were her rebound. You were used to make-"

"Sykes." Sanchez glares at her, "Worry about yourself. I have a family to take care of."

"A family? She won't even call you." Sykes shakes her head, "You're smarter than that. You're better than that."

"What do you want from me?" He attempts not to raise his voice.

"I want you to wake up, Julio. This girl isn't great. Yeah, she's pregnant with your kid. So what. You say you're in love with her. Is it because she's pregnant or because you really are? Can you see spending the rest of your days with her? I bet you can't...because I can't."

"Yes, I can. I want to." Sanchez mumbles.

"Then do something about it." Sykes sighs, "She's a lot younger than you. Now, while that isn't a problem, someone else is now in the picture. Lieutenant Flynn's son, fresh out of the military, is now sleeping on the sofa in the same house. They're about the same age-"

"He's younger than her. She won't go to anyone younger."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know her. I love her." Sanchez shakes his head, rising from his seat, "I'm getting coffee. Don't follow me." He pushes his chair in, walking away from Sykes. The gears in his head turn a thousand miles an hour. What if Sykes was right? What if Eve was finished with him? What if she moves on to Flynn's son or someone else? He forcefully pushes the door to the break room open, causing it to slam against the wall behind it.


	6. Chapter 6

Rusty Flynn gently jiggles his keys in the lock of his parents' home door. Opening it, he glances around, "Mom?" He calls out, looking around, "Katie?" He checks his wristwatch and sighs, it was too early for his sisters to be there, even Sharon or Andy. He shakes his head, dropping his backpack by the stairs.

Matt hears the commotion by the door and ducks behind the sofa, taking the tactical knife from his boot, he studies the young man's movements. Familiar with the area, but not fully by the way he's looking around. He knew their names. Matt shakes his head, knowing Sharon's son was about his age. Older than this kid. He silently rushes over toward him, keeping cover behind areas, finally getting to him and grabbing him by the shoulders, putting the tactical knife to his throat.

"The fuck?" Rusty stands still, not exactly knowing what to do. "Look, if you're here to rob the place, they have everything in a safe. It's pointless. I don't have anything either."

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I come on the weekend to visit my parents. I'm Rusty...Rusty Flynn."

Matt chuckles slowly, shaking his head, "That can't be, you can't have the same last name as me without me remembering you." He continues to hold him.

Rusty lets his body go limp, remembering what he used to do with johns that didn't know when to stop. It was so long ago, it seems, "Sharon adopted me. I wanted the same name as my sister...as Katie."

The older man shakes his head, remembering back to his chats with his sister, "Oh." He lets him go, watching as he crumbles to the floor. "You're Mac's friend."

"I'm her brother. You must be Matt." He sighs, standing up and looking at the man, "Why did you hold that on me?" He motions to the blade with a nod of the head, bringing his hand to his neck and rubbing the spot where he held the blade on him.

"You were an intruder."

"I have keys to the house!" He yells at him, "What intruder has keys to the house they're breaking into?"

"Could have picked them off of any of the women...or even dad. I've seen it done before. I've done it myself before." Matt nods, "Coffee?"

"No, I don't want any fucking coffee. You're crazy." Rusty quickly walks away from the other man.

He follows the boy, "I'm not crazy. You are the crazy one. How do you take a name without consulting the man's children?"

"What?" He pauses, turning to look at him.

"I never said I wanted you to be a Flynn. Mac never said she wanted you to be a Flynn. Kate had no say in the matter." Matt smirks, shaking his head, "You aren't one of us."

"You haven't even been here for three years. You didn't talk to Dad for longer than that. You have no say in anything that happens with this family."

"This isn't your family. This will never be your family."

"You don't even know me." Rusty steps closer to the man, "You don't get to talk about your views of a family you haven't been a part of for years."

"You didn't grow up with Mac and me. You didn't see that stupid bastard drunk off his ass and sitting on the steps to your house. Slurring because he forgot his key." Matt shakes his head.

"He's been sober for over fifteen years. You're going to hold something like-"

"Is that what he told you?" He chuckles, shaking his head, "Try ten."

Rusty glares, folding his arms. "I don't care about the past. I care about now. I care about how he treats Sharon, Katie, and my other-"

"They aren't your family, boy. You're new here. You don't know about a damn thing of what it means to be family with Andy Flynn. He hurts those closest to him and he doesn't give a single damn about it." Matt nearly hisses the words out, his tongue dripping with anger.

He looks to the man, "You touch any of them, get too close...I'll kill you myself." Rusty turns, grabbing his bag before jogging up the stairs and locking himself in Sharon's room. He never usually came in here. It feels safe to him right now, though.

Sharon runs into the house, a grin on her face, "Rusty?" She calls out, "I saw the car parked out front."

Matt looks over to her, shrugging and shaking his head, "He ran upstairs. Looked upset. I tried to talk to him and see what was wrong, but he just ran away from me."

"Oh." She nods to Matt, offering him a smile. "Thanks, Matt." Sharon follows up the stairs, looking in each bedroom before getting to hers. She goes to turn the doorknob, seeing that it's locked. Sharon leans into the door, her voice calm, "Rusty? It's me. Open up."

"Are you alone?" Rusty answers from the other side, leaning against the door as well. His voice hesitant.

"Yes. You're in my room, remember." Sharon smiles.

He opens it, pulling her inside, then locking it behind her. Rusty's face filled completely with emotion, looking like he could cry at any moment.

"What's wrong, honey?" She places her hands on his face, "Are you feeling okay? You're a little warm."

"That's Matt Flynn, right? Mac talks about him."

Sharon nods, pulling him into a hug, "I know you usually sleep on the sofa when Eve's here, but Mac said you could sleep in her room and she'll take Katie's room with her. Everyone will fit."

Rusty shakes his head, "No. He's crazy. He shouldn't be here."

She sighs, "I was afraid this would happen."

"I'm not doing it because I'm jealous, Sharon. I'm doing it because he held a knife against my neck and threatened me."

Sharon pauses, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing him at his jaw line. He scales over her by a good six inches, "He threatened you?"

"Told me I wasn't family. That I didn't earn the Flynn name." Rusty nods, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"That isn't true. You are my son. You have the same last name I do." She continues to hold the young man, "Rusty, you are much too old to let this get to you."

"He shouldn't be around Katie." He shakes his head, standing upright, "Or you."

"I'm fine." Sharon watches him, placing her hand over his chest as she turns from him, "Don't worry about me. He isn't going to hurt me."

"What about Mac or-"

"He won't hurt Mac." She lowers herself to the edge of her bed.

"Eve...Katie..." Rusty shrugs, "That doesn't even begin to cover the things he said about Andy. They were really terrible."

Sharon nods, "I don't trust him. Something about him." She slowly glances to her son, folding her arms as well as crossing her legs at the knees, kicking off her heels, "He called out the name Kalila last night. I was in the kitchen doing paperwork at the island. It sounds like a name, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but who could it be?" He touches his neck again, moving over to sit next to her.

She shrugs, "He didn't let on much."

Rusty nods, "I don't know if I..." He looks to her, then down to the ground, "I don't know if I feel comfortable staying here if he's here."

"Come on. It's only for the weekend. It's what you do. Andrea is coming over for dinner tomorrow. If you leave now, the only person I'll have on my side is Evey." Sharon wraps an arm around his shoulders, "I need you too."

"Is he going to live here?"

"No. He's been looking for apartments." She shakes her head, "At least he says he's been looking for apartments."

Rusty sighs, "Okay. Time is it?"

"Almost two. Want to stay in here and take a nap with me?" She smiles, "I know you don't want to face him right now. It will be different when the girls get here. When Mac and Kate get here at least. I think he has a thing for Evey though."

"He doesn't care that she's almost seven months pregnant?" Rusty raises an eyebrow.

"To be honest, I don't know if he can tell." Sharon shakes her head, "She doesn't exactly come out and tell people when she meets them."

"She's embarrassed?"

"No, not at all. She's always worried someone is in someway connected to the school. I feel so terrible for her." She sighs, "This should be one of the happiest times of her life and if someone at school notices and rats her out to a principal or superintendent, she's fired. Automatically, really."

He shakes his head, "It's a stupid rule."

"Her out-of-wedlock pregnancy goes against the Catholic teaching. All teachers and employees for the school must live their lives in line with Catholic teachings."

"Yeah, well. If the students don't have to, neither should the teachers." Rusty kicks his shoes off, scooting back onto the bed.

Sharon smiles, "I want to throw her a party when she finishes the year." She then glances to him, evaluating his clothing, "Your sock has a hole in it."

"All of my socks have holes in them."

"I'll buy you more socks." She removes her blazer, rising from the bed to gently hang it over a chair in the corner. "Maybe some with reinforced toes." Sharon climbs into bed, cuddling up to Rusty's side. The contrast in their relationship from when they met to this point in time is like day and night. She loved this boy just as much as she did her other children and even found herself trusting him more than her biological children. It was nice to have a confidant she didn't have to impress.

"You're tired. Take your nap." Rusty smirks, "And what makes you think I won't then cut holes in those socks? Maybe my toes feel the need to breathe."

"While in a shoe?"

"I see your point." He grins.

Sharon smiles, closing her eyes as she rests her head on his chest, "I love you, Rusty. Wake me at four...tops."

"Love you too, Mom." Rusty grins, closing his own eyes. Glad he could relax since he locked the door. Matthew Flynn couldn't be trusted.


	7. Chapter 7

Kate runs into the house with her sisters in tow, "Rusty!" She yells, running around the house, looking for him. She finally gets upstairs and tries to open the door to her mother's room. Tilting her head to the side, she pouts her lips slightly, "Mommy?"

Rusty crouches with a smirk before opening the door. He pulls it, hugging the toddler closely when she flings herself at him, "Hey, Katie-bug." He steps out, closing the door behind him.

She places her hands on either side of his face, kissing the tip of his nose, "Why were you in there?"

"Mom and I were napping, She got off early." He grins, "Are you okay?"

Kate nods, "I'm glad you are here. Did you see our other brother? His name is Matt. He's a soldier."

"I did." Rusty nods, his smile fading, "Is her okay with you?"

She smiles, "He's strong. He carries me around." Kate motions the strength with her arms. "Am I strong?"

"Man, you better be careful with those guns." He squeezes above her elbow, widening his eyes, "How did you get so strong?"

"I work out." Kate giggles.

"Very funny." Rusty picks her up, carrying her around the house. He walks past the living room, noticing Eve and Matt sitting together as he makes his way to the kitchen, getting the girl a snack.

"I'm sorry for taking up your bed, Matt, but I just have to...sit a few minutes." Eve smiles to the man. There was something about him that didn't exactly settle right with her, but she's put it on the back burner as to not alarm him.

"It's not a bed, it's a couch, and I shouldn't be staying on it for very long." Matt grins to her, "Hard day at work?"

She nods slowly, "There's this one student that seems to...know all the buttons he can press with me. It's hard biting my tongue sometimes." She settles her hand on her middle, yawning, "Not to mention I'm tired all of the fucking time and can't sleep at night, of course. I have terrible luck, you see."

"Sounds that way." He nods, patting his lap, "Foot rub?"

"Seriously?"

Matt nods, "What are siblings for?" He smiles, gently lifting her legs into his lap.

"I think you might be my favorite now." Eve lies back, watching him, "Why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know me."

"No, but our parents are married and we must like each other in some way, shape, or form." He shrugs, "It doesn't hurt that you're beautiful."

She blushes, opening her mouth slightly to speak, "Well, I-" She giggles to herself, shaking her head, "Thank you. I'm flattered."

"So flattered that you should let me take you to dinner sometime." Matt nods, "I'd like to get to know you."

"I have to draw the line. I don't want Katie to get confused." Eve shakes her head, watching him as she runs a hand through her thick hair, "Besides, why would you want to go out with a girl like me?"

He shrugs, "Why not?"

She bites her lip in a grin, "I'm kind of with someone." Eve moans when he hits a tender spot at her ankle, "That feel so good."

Matt chuckles, "Why are you staying here, then, instead of with them?"

"He's really busy and...it made more sense since this is closer to school than his apartment. Not even to mention his bed is uncomfortable as hell."

"You don't talk about him much, though."

Eve shrugs, "What is this, twenty questions?"

"No, I just want to know why you don't talk about some guy that you're apparently seeing. You better believe I'd be talking about my girlfriend all the time if I had one, and how amazing she is." Matt nods, "How beautiful and talented. How hard working and perfect she is." His gaze travels from her feet to her face, "Does he do that with you?"

"I don't know."

"Does he work?"

She nods, "Police officer. He works with Mom and Andy."

Matt nods slowly, "Too bad he isn't around much."

"That isn't it at all. They're very busy right now. He's their weapons expert. You may even like him." Eve smiles to him, wondering why she has a sudden urge to impress this man before her, her step-brother. Is he so desperate that he is flirting with a pregnant woman?

"I doubt it. It doesn't sound like he treats you the way you should be treated." He smirks.

She offers him her hand to help her up, which he obliges to, "I'm going to go take a catnap. If anyone comes looking for me...tell them I've signed up with a circus and have left the country."

Matt chuckles, standing to help her up off the chair. "You strong enough to get upstairs?"

"I'll manage." Eve pats him on the arm before walking away from him.

He nods, smiling. She reminded him a great deal of his deal Aman, even down to the shape of her body and voice. He walks out, hearing giggling from the dining area and seeing Rusty with Kate. "Hey." He says after walking over.

Rusty glances to him, offering him a nod, "We're coloring. Please don't say anything right now."

"No, wait. I came in here to apologize. I was...I was being an asshole earlier. It's a shock to come home and see a little sister I didn't know existed and an adopted brother with the same last name as me. It's...I'm just really sorry." Matt reaches his hand behind his head, watching them.

"So am I. The things you said weren't only about me." He shakes his head, "You should talk to someone about that."

"Mac really trusts you. So does Kate. I want to know more about you. I want to know who my sisters are around all of the time." He nods, "Some of the things I do aren't out of hate, sometimes it's...things I can't control. Things I learned in the military that will always just stay with me when they shouldn't. Know what I mean?"

Rusty nods, "I'm a psychology major. I've read the DSM-IV from cover to cover...which is saying a lot because it's a book as thick as...I don't even know and I generally hate to read, but it's interesting and some of the things within it I remember." He sighs, looking to the man again, "The colloquial term for it is Combat Fatigue...it's a minor type of post-traumatic stress disorder commonly seen in people of your profession. You probably have hallucinations, fatigue, lack of concentration. I don't know, you would probably never tell me, but if you're having any of those things, you need to see a doctor before they get worse. Before it turns into full blown PTSD."

"Then what?"

He shrugs, "Everyone is different."

Matt nods slowly, glancing around, "Uh...Thanks." His voice hoarse, "I'm sorry again."

"Yeah, just get help. I know the military offers that for free usually." Rusty nods, "I can get you in touch with someone if you-"

"No, It's okay. I can handle it." He watches them a moment before turning and returning to the sofa. He sits still for a few moments before picking up the television remote and turning it on.

Rusty leans over, kissing Kate's temple, "That looks great."

"I know. I wouldn't color it this way if I wanted it to look bad." Kate shakes her head, "What were you talking about to Matty? What's a DSM-"

"It's a big giant book that I have to use for school. It has all different mental diseases in it...mental disorders." He smirks, "Probably weighs as much as you do."

She giggles, "It can't be that big."

"It is that big. I have it in my backpack. I'll show it to you later, after dinner, and we'll see if you can even pick it up with those strong arms of yours." Rusty nods, "Hey, I was going to use that color!"

"I had it first." Kate smirks.

"Is that right?" He reaches over, tickling her belly.


	8. Chapter 8

_The constant yellow hue about the house comforted him. It made him love her even more._

_Rising off the sofa from a midday nap, Matt looks to her, standing at the kitchen counter, slowly chopping. He was so in love with this woman. Loved her with every fiber of his being. He was ready to marry this girl, to take her to the states with him and show her off to his family. Show her off to his mother, and even to his father that he refused to speak to. He'd show that man that his life amounted to something, no thanks to him._

_Feeling himself grow hard in his pants, Matt reaches down, feeling his cock strain against the fly of his cargo pants. He quietly walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her extended abdomen, containing the child they made together out of love. Their second._

"_I love when you sway like that. I love your voice when you hum. I just love everything about you, Aman." He gently pushes his hips against her back, showing her his appreciation._

"What are you doing?" Eve stands at the kitchen counter, her eyes wide. She had snuck down in the middle of the night for a piece of the Chocolate cake that Andrea Hobbs had brought for dessert earlier that evening, "Matt..." Her voice is quiet, her hands shaking. Her memories come flooding back of her past traumatic experiences.

Matt brushes his face into her hair with his eyes closed, inhaling deeply, "New perfume?" He smirks, still rubbing her abdomen, "I want you so much right now, Aman."

"Please stop." Came her weak response, her trembling hand covering his to remove it from her belly, "Please."

"The baby is asleep still. She's asleep and it's just the two of us. Kalila is upstairs. Come on. Right here in the kitchen." He begins to edge his pajama pants down.

"I don't know anyone named Kalila." Eve shakes her head again, tears springing to her eyes, "Matt, don't do this, please."

"Aman-" He warns, a smile still on his face as he reached his hand up, touching her breast, "No one will see you. We're home."

"No." She finally screams.

Matt snaps out of it quickly, backing away from her, "Shit, I'm...Eve, I'm so sorry-"

Eve points to him, putting a hand up, "Don't come near me." Her other hand grips onto the counter. She feels her knees begin to buckle because of her intense emotions and she slowly lowers herself to the floor.

"You're...I didn't know you were pregnant." He stays at least five feet from her, knowing he probably hurt her emotionally.

She nods, but unable to answer him otherwise.

The lights of the upstairs level quickly turn on as Sharon runs down the stairs, sidearm in hand, "Matt? What was that scream?" She calls out. Easily prepared to shoot the young man. Sharon looks around the kitchen, seeing him pace with his hands behind his head, "Matt?"

Matt motions to Eve on the floor, "She screamed." The worry and regret on his face insurmountable.

"Evey?" She moves to her daughter, her gun still in her hand. "Okay, It's okay." Sharon wraps her arm around her, holding her closely to her chest, "What happened?" She asks, almost absently as she kisses the top of the, now sobbing, young woman's head.

"I...I had a dream. I didn't mean to hurt her." He crouches again.

"A dream? What kind of dream could hurt her?" She continues to hold her shaking daughter, "Mom's here." She whispers in her ear.

"I thought she was my girlfriend from..." Matt shakes his head, swallowing, "I have flashbacks sometimes. I...I touched her, but I didn't get any further."

"Touched her?" Sharon looks at him, finally, "Sexually?" She bites the inside of her cheek, attempting to restrain herself from seriously hurting her step-son when he nods, "Matt, she was raped...and hurt very badly a few years ago. She spent time in the hospital, then in an institution to help her cope with it."

"Shit." He stands, beginning to pace again, "I didn't...I would never hurt her, Sharon. You have to believe me."

Andy jogs to the bottom of the stairs after realizing his wife wasn't next to him, "Believe you about what?" He looks down to his wife, "What happened?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't get any further than touching her. Then I woke up." Matt shakes his head, "I swear it, Dad."

"Okay." The older man nods, kissing the top of his son's head and patting him on the shoulder. "Go ahead and get back to bed." He motions to the living room, watching as his son returns to the sofa he was resting on, he then crouches and moves closer to his wife. "She okay?"

"Does she look okay, Andy?" Sharon shakes her head, the sobbing girl still in her arms, "I know you're going to hate what I'm about to say-"

"It was an accident, Shar." Andy shakes his head, "He's probably remembering things from the war. It isn't his fault. He can't punish him for something he has no control over."

"I will pay for him to stay in a hotel." She shakes her head, "Andy...please..."

"He's my son, Sharon. I can't do that to him." He sighs, "Maybe she's overreacting-"

"You're sleeping on the floor tonight." Sharon glares, "I can't believe you...She's shaking like a leaf, pregnant, sobbing, and on the floor. That doesn't sound like a very good combo to me. Especially a combination of someone faking something like this...or overreacting..."

"Shar-"

"I am so angry with you right now. Please, don't talk." She shakes her head, looking down to the young woman, who was now sleeping against her, "You're going to help me get her upstairs, then you will sleep elsewhere."

"That isn't fair." Andy watches her closely.

"Life isn't fair and you're taking the wrong side during this right now."

Rusty bounces down the stairs, "What happened?" He quickly sees Sharon and Eve, "What happened?" He asks again, taking a knee in front of her.

"Don't ask right now. I'm too tired to talk about it." Sharon shakes her head, "Help her to my room. Andy is sleeping elsewhere tonight."

"The wrong side? He's my son. I will always take his side." Andy glares.

"Then make sure he gets to a psychiatrist. He needs help. Serious help." Rusty nods, "I'm not being sarcastic. Did he say this was a dream?" He continues when the older man nods, "He may be in full blown Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD."

"I know what it is."

"It's very dangerous. If he doesn't speak to someone, it's only going to get worse." He sighs.

"Worse than nearly raping Eve?" Sharon gently helps the girl up, letting Rusty lift her into his arms, "One more thing, Andy. I mean it. You're protecting him, who the hell is protecting the rest of us?"

Andy stands there, watching them as Eve is carried upstairs. He closes his eyes, not knowing exactly what to do. He slowly walks to the living room, "Son?" The lights are off, but he can see the figure of the young man sitting up on the sofa.

"I wouldn't have hurt her. It would have stopped-" Matt mumbles, shaking his head, "I mean it, Dad. I really do. She's beautiful, I would never hurt her." He has tears in his eyes, staring straight ahead, shocked by all that occurred not long ago.

"I believe you." He nods, standing at the edge of the sofa and folding his arms.

"What...Sharon mentioned her being hurt a few years ago. What happened?"

Sighing, Andy sits in the high, wing backed chair, across from his son. Seeing shadows of the young man's hardened jaw, he leans forward, "Sharon and I were out to dinner. Katie stayed home with Rusty...or Liz Provenza...I don't really remember." He shakes his head, "We had just finished dinner and were on our way home when we came across a crime scene. We got out to help and realized our department was on the case. They didn't want to bother us because it had been a long time since we had gone out...even just to dinner." He leans back, knowing the young man was listening to him closely, "Sharon went to talk to the victim who was in a squad car. She had multiple knife wounds on her body, naked, beaten up." He stands again to pace, attempting to get his mind off of the vision, "It was Eve. Her boyfriend, at the time, was into drugs. Married, though she didn't know that part at that point. Guy chased her down and attacked her. We found him dead in an alley not far from her. Thought she did it."

"Did she?"

Andy shakes his head, "There was a homeless guy...killed the boyfriend when he started to rape her...right there in public."

Matt looks away, "I ruined this place for her."

"Everything will be fine." He watches him, "We'll get you help."

"They offer it for free at the Veteran's Hospital."

"Good." Andy smiles to him, "This is just a blip. We're a family. We'll get past it."

"I hope you're right about that." Matt looks over to his father's silhouette, "I really do."


	9. Chapter 9

Sharon walks into the room with Rusty and her elder daughter in his arms, "Just put her there on the bed." She motions, "She'll sleep in here tonight, so if you'd like to take her room-"

"I'll let Andy have it." Rusty shakes his head, gently lying the young woman on the bed, "Think the baby is alright?"

She sighs, nodding, "I'm so angry with that man right now." She stands at the foot of the bed, running her hand through her hair, "I'm seething with anger."

"I know you are, but you have to remember, he was defending his son, Mom. If the same thing were to happen to me or Chad-"

"It would never happen with either of you. This is the second strike against this young man and-"

"He's still family." Rusty interrupts her, shaking his head slowly.

"He attacked you!" Sharon looks to the young man, incredulously, "He attacked you and held a knife to your throat."

"He was trained to kill. He had a life and, I believe, a family before he came back here. His head may still be over there, with them."

"If he had a family overseas, why didn't he bring them with him?"

"Maybe that's it, maybe something happened to them." He sighs, "Just don't...Don't judge him based on his actions right now. If I'm right about his issues, he's very, very sick."

Sharon pauses, staring at her daughter, "If you won't sleep in Evey's room, will you stay in here tonight, Rusty?"

Rusty smirks, laughing softly to himself, "The bed isn't big enough for all of us."

"Yes, it is. It's a California King. I only ever sleep on the edge and...I need someone else in here in case she wakes up...in case if I'm called to a scene. She needs you." She glances to him, "She needs the both of us."

He catches on quickly to her reasoning, "Want me to go grab Katie while I'm at it?"

Sharon pouts her lips slightly in a smirk, "And if I do?"

"Will you then want me to lock the door just so we can barricade ourselves in here and leave Andy and Mac to face Matt head on by themselves?" Rusty slowly slips his hands into his pockets, smiling to her.

She sighs, realizing how irrational she is being, "I just don't trust him." Sharon whispers, as if someone is listening in on their conversation, "Haven't since the day he came to the door. He looks so much like Andy."

"Is that why you don't trust him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why?"

Sharon slowly folds her arms, glancing back to her daughter and just staring at her sleeping form, "All of my years as a detective make these red flags appear in my head. He was supposed to come in January and then we didn't hear from him in months...It's almost June. He hasn't even given an excuse. Andy was so upset."

"Maybe he isn't able to." Rusty shakes his head slowly.

She bites the corner of her mouth, "It doesn't matter, Rusty. Mac thought he was angry with her, Andy thought he changed his mind back to how he was before. Neither of them deserved that."

"Well, now you can get to know him."

"I don't know if I want to."

"You do." The young man nods, "Think of him as a person of interest and it's imperative that you be kind and gentle with him in order to illicit information from him. He is a person of interest to your family. I think it's the only way you're going to be able to get through his time here."

"I feel like I must be on watch 24-7." Sharon shakes her head, silently stepping over to the side of the bed, sitting next to the young woman. She places her hand on her daughter's dark brown, curly hair, stroking it gently, "She looks so fragile."

"She isn't though. She's just as strong as you, if not stronger. Give you a run for your money." Rusty grins sitting on the other side of the young woman, "She's been through the ringer and now she has the chance to be happy."

"If he ruined it and set her back...I'll never be able to forgive him."

"Instead of worrying about what might have happened to her mental state, why not look on the positive."

"There are no positives right now, Rusty."

He nods, "There are. She hasn't been able to sleep right for months. Now, out like a light."

"From shock probably." Sharon slowly scoots down onto the bed, "She tells you that?"

Rusty smirks, "She doesn't want to worry you. Said the baby is most active at night, so she tries to take naps before dinner and after dinner, before it's time to actually go to bed because the baby keeps her up then." He watches her, "Go ahead and see."

She smiles softly, gently reaching a hand over to touch her middle, feeling the movement beneath her fingertips, "Like a fish." Her grin widens, "She carries like I did, you know."

He nods, "I remember. Few more weeks and she won't be able to get through the door."

"Hey." She gives him a playful look, "I don't only mean with Kate. She was different. I mean with Eve and Chad."

"How was being pregnant with Kate different than with your other kids?"

Sharon watches him, comfortable, and not wanting to move an inch, "I was much older. Twenty years difference is an entire lifetime. I thought I'd be getting ready to be a grandmother for the first time then, not a mother. With the older two, I exercised a great deal. I was also dehydrated often, it caused me great pain." She sighs, "They were worth every trip to the Emergency Room though." She smiles quickly, but it fades just as fast, "Does she ever speak of being in pain to you?"

"No." Rusty shakes his head, "Stress mostly, but being a teacher, that's expected. Kids are annoying as hell."

"Yeah? What about Kate?"

"Kate's different. The other kids aren't as perfect as she is."

"Good answer."

He chuckles, "I mean high school kids. I'm not including Mac with that because she's awesome. I mean other kids. They think they know everything and no one can tell them any different."

"Oh." Sharon pouts a smirk, "I seem to remember a rowdy teenager sleeping on my sofa and fighting with me that he didn't want a bedroom when there was a perfectly good one just down the hall."

"Exactly. I was a pain in the ass." He nods, "But you changed me, the family you built...all of it changed me for the better and for that I am eternally grateful." Rusty looks at Eve's sleeping face, adjusting it a little so her neck wouldn't hurt in the morning, "I received instant siblings with you, even one I got to watch grow from the beginning and doesn't know me as anything else but her brother."

"I'm proud to call you my son, you know." She feels pride welling within her, so much so that she feels as if she may even begin to cry, but she holds it back.

"Exactly. Matt Flynn doesn't know any of this...he doesn't know any of us. Not even Katie and that's his biological sister." He watches her, "He's been broken, Mom, and the only thing that's going to repair him is the same thing that repaired me. Love, respect, and trust."

Sharon listens closely to him, "You had a school to go to and friends to relax with. It was different. You were much younger than he is right now."

"When wild horses are captured and needing to be tamed, most times they're left alone in a pen where they attempt to escape...multiple times. They don't know anything else besides living on the plains. It takes a brave wrangler to get in and mount the horse. That wrangler allows himself, or herself, to be jostled all around as the horse attempts to buck them off. The only time the horse gives in is when the wrangler makes said horse realize they aren't going to give up. They make the horse know that they aren't going anywhere and they can be trusted." Rusty offers her a smile, "Do you know what I mean?"

"Since when are you an expert on horses?" She answers begrudgingly, "So I need to..." Sharon sighs, rolling her eyes, "Yeah, okay."

"Or ride him like a horse, but I don't think Andy would like that very much."

"I don't believe he would, no." Sharon grins, "Thank you, Rusty." She hears a soft rap at the door, slowly glancing over with the door seeps open, "Yes."

"My mother always said to never go to sleep angry with the one you love and we never have. I don't want to start now." Andy stands in the doorway, slowly folding his arms, "I'm sorry, Shar. I wasn't thinking before when I automatically thought-"

"Neither was I. You were just defending your son. I'd do the same for my own." Her voice is soft, watching her husband, "So, I'm sorry too."

He smirks, stepping over to the bed. He leans down and kisses her lips tenderly, "Let her stay in here as long as she likes. I'll...uh..."

"Take Eve's bed." Rusty nods.

"You were sleeping there though, kid." The older man shakes his head.

"I insist. I'll take Kate's little-"

"He's sleeping in here too." Sharon watches them, "So just go sleep in her bed. We'll talk in the morning...later in the morning."

"Of course." Andy nods, leaning down and kissing her again, "I love you, babe."

"Love you too, Andy." She offers him a smile. Sharon watches as he leaves again, looking back to Rusty, "Don't even say a word."

"I wasn't even going to say I told you so." Rusty shakes his head, sliding down into the bed on the opposite side of Eve, "But now that you mention it-"

"Rusty." Sharon warns, then smiles, "Love you, honey."

"Love you too, Mom." Rusty turns the side table light off, watching the women a few minutes via the glow of the moonlight through the window. He closes his eyes, wondering how he could have ever gotten so lucky in his life.


	10. Chapter 10

Julio Sanchez knocks on the door to the Captain's newer townhouse. It was modern, but he couldn't imagine her and Flynn living in anything different. He checks on the bag, smiling as he sees a figure come to the door through the window.

Eve tilts her head to the side, offering him a smile, as she pulls open the door, "How'd you know I was off today?" She leans against the frame.

"You haven't worked most of the week." He shakes his head, "I guessed."

She smiles, stepping aside and watching as he walks past. Something between them was comfortable. He was a close friend, probably her closest. Eve watches as he walks to the kitchen, knowing he thinks of her as more than that, "Something smells good."

"I got us Chinese." Julio sets it on the counter, knowing where things are and the Captain's impeccable organizational methods, he pulls plates from the cabinet, "I'm starving. What about you..."

"Sure." Eve walks up behind him, putting her hand on his back and her face into his bicep, "I've missed you, Julio."

"You didn't tell me about your apartment."

She sighs, shrugging, "I didn't think it was important."

"We still have to get the baby's room ready and if you can't be there because it makes you sick...well..." He shrugs, "You could have come and stayed with me."

"I didn't want to."

"Why?"

Eve shakes her head, taking her plate after he puts food onto it, "I'm not comfortable with myself for what I did to you."

"It was mutual last I checked." Sanchez finally turns his body to face her and take in her entire form, "You've grown since I've seen you last."

"It's been three months, Julio. Of course a fetus is going to grow."

"I just wasn't expecting so much, I guess."

"You've..." Eve pauses, "An entire trimester, Julio."

"I know."

"You said you were going to be there."

"I know."

"So why aren't you?" She stares at him with her glassy, chocolate colored irises, "I want the truth, Julio. Don't tell me what you think I want to hear."

"I'm scared to death, Eve." He swallows, pausing and unable to look at her.

"Scared?" Eve's eyes widen as she slowly smirks, "You think I'm not? I'm the one who has to endure the cramps and contraction. I am the one who must suffer the pain of a birth and afterbirth. I'm the one who is going to be up all hours of the night breast feeding the kid." She shakes her head, "You want to talk about scared?"

"I know." Julio mumbles a response, "And I want to be there, but you've done everything in your power to keep me away."

"Oh? The telephone works both ways. You could have sent a text message even. It isn't hard." She folds her arms, rubbing her bicep with her thumb as she holds onto it. Eve slowly moves to the utensil drawer and takes out a pair of chopsticks, "You want a fork or sticks?"

"Fork." He swallows, "I've been working overtime. I wanted to buy a set for the baby's room at your apartment." Julio shakes his head, still not looking at her, "I want it to be one of the nice ones. Something to go with the rest of your place, you know? I didn't realize how much I was missing because of it."

"I had an appointment the other day." Eve says, almost absently. She easily uses her chopsticks to pick up pieces of her beef with mushroom. Then poking again to pick up some lo mein.

Julio takes a moment before plating his own food up and sitting next to her, "I would have gone...If I had known."

"Would you have?"

"Of course." His gaze falls upon her, "Is it why you haven't been at work? Is something wrong?"

She shakes her head slowly, "Everything is perfect. Baby is bigger than it's normal growth already." Eve smirks, "Something to do with the gestational diabetes."

"And that's okay too? Your sugars?"

"Your baby is fine, Julio, if that's your question."

"It isn't, actually." Sanchez shakes his head, reaching a hand over to place on top of hers, "I'm worried about you. I'm always worried about you."

Eve slowly looks over to his hand, pursing her lips slightly as she moves her eyes up to his face, "You've a funny way of showing it." Her voice just above a whisper, yet full of emotion. She doesn't move her hand from his, needing his touch.

"I didn't have a father growing up. I don't want my kid thinking his dad is some kind of failure because he can't take care of his mom." He squeezes her hand gently, "I want to take care of you all of the time, Eve. I want to be the one you ask for help. I want to be the one you roll over and wake up next to every morning-"

"I'm not marrying you, Julio."

"I'm not asking you to marry me."

"Okay, then what are you saying?"

"I want to live together. Not for some selfish or sexual reason, I want to help you with the baby as much as possible and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is if we're in the same apartment."

Eve nods slowly, "I can agree to that."

"I want to pay for things for the place...bills and things..."

"I work too, Julio. We can split costs."

Though it was against his beliefs of taking care of her fully, he knows if he doesn't agree to it, she won't continue with living together. "Fine."

"Since Mac moved here, you can take her room. The baby will obviously take my study."

Sanchez sighs, but nods in agreement, "You'll be okay at your place?"

She tilts her head to the side, "Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugs, "Andy said something about the smell...you were getting sick from it?"

"Oh." Eve offers him a smile, "I just...Eve was there for so long, it was weird for her not to be. Honestly, I didn't like coming home to an empty apartment. Since you're moving in, I'll be feeling much better."

Sanchez smirks, "You're something else."

"I know." She leans over, pecking him quickly on the lips with her own, "So, I figure, since I'm officially in my third trimester and the baby could technically be born now and survive, I think we should brainstorm some names."

"Juan Carlos or Guillermo something." Julio teases, then shakes his head when he receives a look from her, "I'm kidding. I'm leaving the name entirely up to you."

Eve smiles, then nods, "I'll make a deal with you."

"Let's hear it."

"If it's a boy, we'll give him my last name as a first name and he will get your last name."

"And if it's a girl?"

"I have no fucking idea, and we're screwed." She smirks, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Does that mean we're having a boy?" He raises an eyebrow.

"No, it means we're having a girl and we're screwed." Eve grins.

"Yeah?"

She nods, picking up another piece of steak with her chopsticks, "I've known for a while, but figured I could withhold the information in some lame attempt for you to take notice."

"Playing on my love for you?" Sanchez looks over to her again.

"Obviously." Eve grins, "I'm glad my mother has saved Kate's clothes." She nods, "Gavin bought her so much stuff that there were some things she grew out of before she ever got into them. All designer. Gorgeous as hell."

"Good." Julio nods, "We'll buy for her as well though." He reaches a hand over, placing it on her belly, his face turning into one of awe.

She pauses, noticing him, "She's awake right now."

"I can tell." He grins widely, completely fascinated by her abdomen and the child growing in her womb, "That's crazy."

"I wanted you to feel when she first started...but I was holding that hostage too."

"I'm glad I'm here now, then." Sanchez nods, not wanting to move his hand as he takes another bite of his food.

"Me too." Eve smiles, his presence, to her, is that of friendship. A friend who would protect you at all cost and you have more of a relationship with than the boundaries of friendship, she loves his presence. However, to save herself headache, she won't tell him that. Leave him in the dark. It's better for everyone.


	11. Chapter 11

Matt Flynn has always been very stubborn. A streak he inherited from his father, as well as his looks. Intelligent by default, but too unwilling to accept change and aid. He leaves the veterans hospital, having heard what he thought to be all of it. Having attended a month now, He returns home. Dropping the bottle of pills onto the counter from the paper bag. He stares at it, his name typed boldly on the white paper sticker wrapped around the orange bottle. This wasn't his first course of pills. He didn't feel like himself anymore. He felt like a shell of who he once was. He hates it.

Slowly uncapping the bottle, Matt pours the pills down the kitchen sink, turning on the garbage disposal. He closes his eyes, swallowing the stale saliva that forms in his mouth. He moves to the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of beer and uncapping it, taking a swig. There is nothing else in his fridge except space and this six pack of Michelob Ultra. He walks over to his overstuffed leather recliner, leaning back as he picks up his mobile phone, ready to call for Chinese when he hears a knock at the door. He raises an eyebrow.

Quickly, he walks over, it isn't a very large apartment by any means, pulling the door open, "Sharon. I wasn't expecting you." He takes a paper bag from her arms.

"I brought you groceries. Your father said you've probably ordered out all week long and it's what has contributed to your weight loss." Sharon nods, walking past him, "Come on, Katie."

Kate follows her mother, smiling up at her older brother, carrying a smaller bag, "I'm helping." She holds it up.

"Looks like it." Matt grins to his sister, then up to his step-mother, "Really, Sharon, you didn't have to go to all the trouble."

"I won't have any of you going hungry." She tugs open the door to the refrigerator, "It's nothing much anyway, lunchmeat, bread, peanut butter and-"

"Jelly!" Kate yells, putting the bag down before she walks into the other room, looking around.

"Jelly." Sharon smiles, "Some pre-made meals, and some frozen dinners." She puts things away, noticing the beer in the fridge, "How was therapy today?"

"It was fine." He nods, knowing damn well he didn't attend today. "I'll be honest with you about something though."

"Yes?" She pauses with the door open as she looks him in the eye.

"I was absolutely about to call out for dinner. How about I order you and Katie something too? We can eat at my dining set...I haven't eaten at my dining set yet." Matt smiles to her, then yells to the other room, "Katie, tell your mother that we should have dinner together."

Sharon runs her hand through her hair, pursing her lips slightly in uncertainty, "Um." She glances to her daughter who has run into the room and is standing next to her with a hopeful grin on her face, "Rusty isn't coming until tomorrow, Eve is with Julio, Mac is spending the night at Tracy's-"

"Her girlfriend." Kate giggles.

"And your father is over Provenza's watching a ball game." She sighs, "I suppose we can stay for dinner."

Making a fist and pulling it down to her side, the girl cheers, "Yes." Kate hisses, running back into the living room and flinging herself onto the recliner.

"Great." Matt opens a drawer in the kitchen filled entirely with takeout menus, "Take your pick."

Sharon smiles to him, walking closer and looking through them, "You've come a long way from when you first arrived at my home." She nods, glancing to him, "You're doing a great job."

"Thanks." Matt nods, watching her. His father has great taste in women. This one was older than what his father was usually drawn to, but her intelligence and beauty quickly made up for her age. "The perfume you're wearing...lavender and...is that...beachwood or sandalwood? I always get them confused."

"Sandalwood. That's..." She pauses, smirking, "Yes, that's amazing. How did you-"

He shrugs, "I've bought a lot of perfume for a lot of girls. You've had that one specially mixed though."

"It's oil." She nods, "Stronger and lasts longer...more expensive, but it goes a long way."

"It occurred to me the other day, that you know much about me, but I barely even know you." Matt watches her. Was he flirting with her? Maybe absently, but it was easy with someone so beautiful. It's why he was drawn to her elder daughter, he thinks. She has the same spark.

Sharon pulls out a Chinese menu from the drawer, "I will have vegetarian lo mein. Katie, what would you like from-"

"I want chicken!" Kate calls, having changed the channel on the television to something more of her liking.

"See if they-"

"I'll get her some chicken tenders." Matt smiles, "Katie, you want some fries too?"

"Yes!" The little girl answers.

"Make yourself at home, Sharon. Seems Katie already has. Could I get you something to drink?" Matt nods, looking through the menu for his own meal.

"Ice water, if possible. I bought you orange juice. Mind if I give some to-" Sharon walks away from him a bit.

"I'll get it. You go ahead." He smiles to her, watching her sway as she walks away.

Sharon joins her daughter in the living room, glancing to her daughter, "You okay, baby?"

Kate nods, her back fully to the back of the chair. She holds up a small remote, much too small for the television.

"What's that?"

"I want Santa to bring me this chair for Christmas."

Sharon chuckles a little, "It's just the summertime. Why do you want that chair for Christmas?"

"It shakes." Kate grins, her voice reflecting as such.

"It's called a massage chair. We have one."

"Not like this."

Sharon rolls her eyes, glancing to the television again, "Haven't you had enough of Strawberry Shortcake? Evey watched this when she was your age as well."

"This is my show. Not Evey's." Kate shakes her head, scowling at her mother.

"I know that. I wasn't saying it was Eve's show."

"Kay." She looks up when her brother walks back into the room.

"Ice water for you and orange juice in a special cup for Katie." Matt grins, handing her the small cup with a straw attached. Pink and decorated with her favorite cartoon around the middle.

"This is mine?" Kate's green eyes widen, a grin seeping across her face.

"Of course. Strawberry Shortcake isn't my favorite. My Batman cup is in the dishwasher." He smiles to her.

Sharon watches him closely as he takes a seat at the other end of the sofa, "How did you get to be so great with kids?"

"We came across a lot while I was overseas. They were fascinated with our camo and weapons and such." He smiles, not wanting to mention the greatest reason of all, "Sometimes it comes first nature, I guess. Either you're good at it, or you aren't. Some of the guys and girls who were with me weren't."

She smiles to him, "You'll be a great father someday, I bet."

"Better than what-" He stops himself, remembering his father did change and is amazing to Kate and even Mac now. He knows his mother filled his head with many negative notions about the man, but some of it was warranted, "Someday."

"Can I ask you something?" Sharon slips her feet out of her flats and pulls her legs under herself as she sits on the sofa, "If I'm prying, please tell me so."

"Absolutely." Matt nods, "Whatever you'd like. I'll answer as honestly as I can."

"When you were having your dreams, you mentioned the name Kalila. I think it's a name, sounds like it would be." She nods, "Was she someone important to you?"

"_Look at her, Matthew. She looks exactly like you." Aman grins, looking into the crib at their newborn daughter, "She's absolutely perfect."_

"_She's perfect because of you, but I'll take the credit if you want to give it to me." Matt nods, his arms wrapped around the love of his life. "The midwife said you did so great." He kisses her temple. It was customary for the men to not be in the same room as the woman and she was a medic from the base that was needing to owe him a few favors. "I want to marry you. We'll go to the states...we'll get married there. You can be a citizen then."_

"_You're still here for a while. When you get message that you must go, I'll consider it." Aman nods, knowing her life was in serious danger if he ever left her completely alone, "Until then, we're fine where we are."_

"_What did you name her?"_

"_Kalila."_

_He smiles, reaching in and stroking the baby's dark hair, "Does it mean something?"_

"_Beloved." Aman watches him closely, "Because she is."_

"_It suits her." He chuckles, gently lifting her swaddled body into his arms, "Hello, Kalila. I'm your Daddy."_

"Matt?" Sharon notices his eyes glaze over almost, "Matt?" She leans to him, touching his wrist.

"Kalila?" Matt shakes his head slowly, "No idea."

She nods slowly, knowing he's lying from the look in his eyes, "Eve said you mentioned something about someone named Aman as well."

"She was a girl I met. Nothing serious, just a friend." He offers her a smile.

Another lie, she knows. However, Sharon grins, getting up when the doorbell rings.

"Sit, I'll get it." He shows her the cash in his pocket, "I'm prepared." Matt rises from the seat striding to the door. He pays and carries it to the dining room, "Come on. I want the two of you to be the first people to ever sit here with me."

Sharon turns off the television, giving her daughter a look when she groans, "Supper."

"What does that even mean?" Kate climbs from the chair following her mother.

"I can actually tell you that." Matt nods, "It comes from the French word 'souper' which is a snack later on after dinner, usually soup. Instead of dessert, like we're used to, they'd eat soup. Some still do, actually. Most, especially Americans, use supper interchangeably with dinner now though."

Sharon smirks, raising an eyebrow, "Military intelligence?"

"No, I really like history, actually." He chuckles a little, walking to the kitchen and pulling down the plates and utensils, as well as napkins, taking them back to the table. He sets them at the different seats, "Sharon would you mind plating these? I think I may have a book for you to sit on, Katie." He nods, moving away from them to his bookshelf and taking down a large thick book. "Here we go. It's a manual. Can you believe that?"

"What's a manual?" Kate watches him as he lifts her onto the seat, on top of the book.

"Instructions." Sharon smiles to her, pushing cut up chicken tenders in front of her. She looks in the bag again, pulling out kid chopsticks, "I think these are for you too." She hands them to her.

"They are." Matt nods, "I'm glad they remembered them." He offers Sharon a better pair of bamboo ones, "I got used to eating with them. Want a pair?"

She nods, "Thank you." Sharon sits, eating.

The meal went off without a hitch and Matthew Flynn and his two guests seem to be having a good time.

Sharon helps clean up, and looks to her watch, "I'm afraid we're going to have to head out. It's nearly time for bed for Katie." She nods, folding her arms as she glancing up to the young man, "I have to say, Matt, I learned a great deal about you today."

"I hope that's a good thing." Matt smirks, "I learned some about you as well. You're good for Dad."

She smiles, noticing her daughter rubbing her eyes as she sips from her cup, "He's good for me too." She nods, "And thank you for everything with her too. She'll probably try to sleep with that cup tonight."

He chuckles, "Anytime. If you ever need me to watch her, just let me know and I'm there. She's a great kid and I'm honored to call her my sister."

Sharon reaches over, patting him on the arm before returning to the living room and retrieving her purse, lifting Kate into her arms.

"Here, let me carry her to the car for you." Matt nods, taking the girl from his stepmother's arms. He follows her down to Sharon's vehicle, easily buckling her in before waving and jogging up to his apartment. Moving to the bathroom, he removes his t-shirt and looks to himself in the mirror and to the simple tattoo of his daughter's name over his heart. He places his hand over it, turns, and shuts the light off, going back to the living room.


	12. Chapter 12

Slowly walking down the stairs in their modern home, Sharon notices her husband sitting on the sofa, watching the television. Everyone else asleep in the house, she smiles, strolling over to him. "Hear that?" She points up, placing her hand next to her ear.

"Hear what?" Andy tilts his head up to her, still donning his Dodgers cap and short sleeved shirt. His outstretched arm wraps around her shoulders after she sits next to him.

"Exactly. It's silent around here for a change." She wraps her arms around his waist, her head leaning into his chest, "How did you team do?"

"We lost, as usual.' He sighs, kissing the top of her head, "How about your night?"

"Kate and I had dinner with your son." She smirks.

Andy looks to her, pleasantly surprised, "Really? With Matthew?"

Sharon nods slowly, "Kate is quite taken with him."

"Thank you for giving him another chance." He smirks, a toothpick hanging out of the corner of his mouth, "I'm surprised you even went to his apartment more or less had dinner."

"He was thin on Sunday...he's been losing weight and he doesn't need to. I figured it was because he didn't buy any groceries...I was right." Sharon smiles sweetly, "I did it for Chad when he moved out too."

"Yeah, but Chad's your actual son and I know you aren't exactly on good terms with-"

"We're fine now. He seems to be doing well." She tilts her head up, kissing his lips softly. She won't tell him about the beer in the frigidaire. Not yet anyway. It isn't important just yet and she doesn't want to worry him.

"So, we're relatively alone tonight." Andy smirks, motioning with his head for her to sit on his lap.

"Seems that way. Kate is sound asleep and Rusty isn't coming until tomorrow." Sharon climbs over him, straddling his lap, "Eve is at her apartment with Julio-"

"What happened to the smell making her sick thing?"

"I don't think she wants to be alone. Call it intuition, but a mother knows when her child is lying." She tilts her head to the side, "Julio sent me a text message asking if Rusty could babysit her too during the day." Sharon gives a throaty chuckle, removing the hat from his head, as well as the toothpick. She places them on the credenza behind the sofa, "He even offered to pay for it."

"Is she that bad?" Andy tilts his head back, looking up at her as his hands rest on her hips, beneath her shirt, and stroking the soft skin of her lower belly with his thumbs.

Sharon shrugs, "She's in pain. Because of the Gestational Diabetes, the baby is already very large. Since her abdominal muscles were tight before, each movement hurts her. I feel so bad for her." Her shoulders slump slightly as she watches him.

He nods, reaching a hand up and removing her glasses, putting them on the table behind the sofa as well. "We can worry about all that tomorrow." He smirks, "How does that sound?"

Humming approvingly, she tilts her head to the side, "And what do you suppose we do in the meantime?"

"I say we make out like teenagers." Andy grins, his hands gliding up to her bra enclosure, unhooking the eye hooks from the clasps.

Letting out a sigh of relief, once the tightness around her torso is relaxed, Sharon leans down to his lips slowly, "It has been a long time since we've done so, hasn't it..."

"Yes, it has." He massages her breasts as he kisses her thin lips tenderly. This is all they need sometimes. To be putty in the palm of one another's hands. The intimacy of kissing never ceases to amaze them. Especially how they are with one another.

She places her hands on either side of his face, holding him still and enjoying the attention he gives her chest. He was always a breast man. It surprised her that he seemed so content with her assets since they weren't exceptionally large by any means. She moans softly in his ear when his thumbs rub over her nipples, placing her mouth over his once more to keep herself quiet.

Andy breaks the kiss for a moment, just wanting to see her face, flushed with rosey cheeks. He smirks, "You're beautiful, you know that?" When she leans in once more, he stops her, "You know that, Shar?"

"Thank you." Sharon blushes, smiling a little, "Really." She runs a hand through his hair, stroking his temple with her thumb of her other. "You're devastatingly handsome, yourself."

"See that makes my compliment sound-" He grumbles.

She giggles, "Be quiet." She leans in, kissing him again and nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth for him to slow down.

"I feel better now." He wraps his arms around her waist, watching as she removes her bra completely from underneath her short sleeved shirt without removing the shirt itself. "And after all these years, I still don't understand how you girls do that."

"It isn't rocket science." Sharon shakes her head, leaning down and holding onto him, enjoying their closeness.

"Seriously? Even when I don't live here, I walk in on the two of you." Rusty shakes his head, dropping his backpack by the stairs, and walking to the kitchen.

Sharon licks her lips, pecking Andy's with her own once more before climbing from his lap and walking where she heard her son enter, "I didn't think you were coming tonight."

"Neither did I, but Mac called and told me she was with her girl tonight and Eve wasn't here. Kate needs someone here if you guys get called out." Rusty smirks, "And I just kind of wanted to come tonight. Sorry for ruining you moment."

"No, honey, you didn't ruin anything." She hugs him tightly, "We were simply...enjoying the quiet for a moment." Sharon pulls his face down to kiss his cheek before moving to the frigidaire. "The drive was okay?"

"I'm only a half hour away."

"Still..."

"It was fine." Rusty nods, "Sorry I didn't come the past couple weeks. Finals and stuff."

"Oh, it's okay." Sharon shakes her head, "I'm just glad you called to video conference with Katie. You know how much she looks forward to seeing you each week, as well as the rest of us, but you were a big part in bringing her up for that first year or so."

He shrugs, "I look forward to it too." He smirks, taking a soda can from the fridge.

Andy strolls in, having gotten up from his position on the sofa, "Hey kid. Seems you get a bed all to yourself tonight for a change...and I don't mean Kate's toddler bed."

Rusty nods to the older man, "That's what I hear." He smirks. "I'm kind of excited about it."

He chuckles, "Alright, I'm heading up." He kisses his wife before turning from them, "See you both in the morning." Andy pats Rusty on the shoulder before heading up the stairs.

"I really do feel like I was interrupting the two of you." He sighs, glancing to Sharon when Andy reaches the top and out of ear range.

Sharon puts her hand up, closing her eyes, and shaking her head, "If you didn't, who knows how far he would have tried to go and I'd rather you walk in on us instead of Kate...For the record, I'd like neither of you to walk in on us-"

"I get it." Rusty nods, "So, I got this text from Sanchez today-"

She chuckles, nodding, "Babysitting Eve?"

"He does know that she's past the point of needing a babysitter, right?"

"You haven't seen her in the past few weeks. She sprouted overnight almost."

"Do I have to-" He makes a face, as if he's dreading what he's about to offer.

She shakes her head, "No, nothing like that. Just take her food once in awhile and if she needs something, take it to her. Also, make sure she checks her blood sugar."

"I have to say, it sounds like instructions one would receive before taking care of an old person." Rusty takes a sip of his drink.

Sharon turns around, filling a tea kettle and setting it on the stove, "Don't tell her that." She smirks, "It just hurts for her to move. She was so tiny and this whole thing hasn't been easy on her."

"I've talked to her."

"And?"

"I know." He smiles, "I called her the other day and she cried for an hour...on the phone...wasting my minutes."

"It's just hormones, Rusty." She rolls her eyes.

"Sixty minutes of ugly crying. I think she forgot that I was on the phone."

"Hormones."

"Not when she screamed in my ear." He shakes his head, looking at her, "I've missed you a lot, Mom."

"I've missed you too, honey. Tell me, what have you been up to?"

"I've actually been volunteering at the Grief Counseling Center. Thought maybe it would help me get my food in the door, it has and they actually want to hire me full time." Rusty smiles, "I'll continue with school, obviously, but-"

Sharon grins widely, "Rusty, baby, that is fantastic." She nods, taking his hands, "How long have you been-"

"Few months now." He nods slowly.

"And you're just telling me now, why?"

"There's been more important things going on for you and me volunteering isn't really that important for me to go out of my way and distract you so that I can tell you."

She shakes her head, pulling him in for a hug, "Honey, it isn't a distraction. It's your life and it's exciting, not only for you, but myself...I'm so proud of you."

He nods a little, being quiet a moment before continuing, "I really like it."

"Fantastic." She nods, kissing his temple, "My baby is growing up."

"I was never your baby, Sharon."

"Not as an infant, but you're still my child." Sharon absently strokes the back of his hair with her nails as she holds him.

Rusty smiles softly, "You can let go now."

"I don't want to." She sighs.

"Unless you want me to pee on your shoes-"

"Okay." Letting the young man go, Sharon smiles to him, "I'm going to bed. We'll talk in the morning?"

"Of course." Rusty nods before jogging toward the restroom.

She watches him run off and wonders where the years have gone before pouring herself some hot water over her tea infuser and heading upstairs.


	13. Chapter 13

"You're a babysitter." Eve lies in bed, book in her hands as she watches her little brother, "That's all there is to it. You came here to babysit."

"And?" Rusty raises an eyebrow, smirking, "You look exhausted...and huge."

"You have really great skills when it comes to women, Rusty. As you know, a woman's favorite thing to hear is just how big she's getting."

"I know, right?" He climbs in bed with her, "Kate is asleep."

"Good for Kate."

"You aren't."

She slowly glances over to him, "You don't say."

"So, I figure, we can watch TV together or we can go for a walk or something."

"Where would we go for a walk, Rusty?"

"Around the house." He grins, "Look, I know you say it hurts to really do anything right now, but you might feel a little better if you keep moving around."

Her voice drips with sarcasm as each comment rolls over her tongue, "I have a child sitting against a nerve in my spine. It hurts when I laugh, it hurts when I cry, it hurts when I attempt to roll over as to not get a fucking bed sore, it hurts when I eat, it hurts with the kid moves. It hurts when I move a centimeter and you want me to do laps around the house?"

"Yeah, or would that be a bad idea?" Rusty raises his eyebrows, hopeful almost.

"I think it would be a terrible idea."

"Fine." He sighs, "Is there something I can get you since my role is now reduced to that of a servant?"

"You aren't a servant." She moans, a lump beneath the thin fabric of her short sleeved shirt visibly moving, "You're never a servant."

Rusty watches it and smiles, "That's crazy looking."

"Sometimes she puts her feet up and you can see the whole outline of it." Eve offers him a smile, "I'd hug you-"

"But it would probably hurt?"

"Precisely."

He chuckles, "Want me to make you soup? Or actual food? I haven't cooked in a while. I miss it."

"Nothing too big, Rusty...surprise me." She offers him a grin, "Sorry for being mean to you."

"Mom said it was hormones and you can't be at fault for that." Rusty rises from the bed, walking to the door.

"Fine, side with Mom then." Eve nods, "Always do."

He laughs, leaving the room and bouncing down the stairs. Only seconds after reaching the bottom, someone grabs him from behind. They give him, what he knows as, a sleeper hold around his neck. Causing him to quickly fall unconscious.

Hours pass until Sharon finally walks through the front door, quickly spotting her son on the floor. She races over to him, "Rusty?" She places her fingers at his neck, noticing the slight bruising where her fingers pressed, "Rusty, honey, wake up." Her face floods with worry.

Opening his eyes slowly, Rusty looks at her, "What...what happened?" He asks softly, moaning a little.

Andy stands above them, "Damn it." He hisses to himself, "I'll check the house." His hand instantly travels to his sidearm as he moves from room to room.

"I don't like this." Sharon shakes her head, "Rusty, what happened?" She gently helps him sit up, holding onto him.

"I...I came down to make Eve food and-" Rusty shakes his head, "I was grabbed...that's all I remember."

"Who grabbed you?"

"I don't know." He feels the sting of tears flood his eyes, but does his best to hide them. He hated crying in front of anyone, especially Sharon.

Sharon nods, feeling him tense, "Okay. I don't care if anything was stolen. Everything is fine as long as you're okay." She kisses his temple.

Andy jogs down the stairs so fast it looks as though he could fall at any second, "The girls are gone." He runs a hand through his hair.

"You looked-"

"I looked everywhere, Sharon. The girls aren't here."

Rusty clears his throat, "That's not possible. Kate, maybe, but Eve was sore when I came down to make food. She wouldn't have gotten up to go anywhere."

Sharon stands, beginning to pace, absently. Her girls were nowhere to be found and there was nothing she did to stop it. "They didn't drive anywhere, they were taken. Evey's car is still out front, as is Rusty's." Her eyes shot to Andy, "Tell the team. Get them out looking for them."

Thoughts run through Andy's mind about all the ways they could have been taken from the house and all the people who would want to take them, "I'll call Louie."

She clears her throat, quickly wiping her cheek, "Julio is going to be-"

"I know." He nods, walking toward the front entrance.

"Wait...was her cell phone upstairs?" Rusty looks between them, he knew this was his fault. He failed at protecting his sisters.

"I don't know." Andy shakes his head, motioning with his hand for the young man to get on with the story.

He takes his phone from his pocket, standing up. Rusty touches the screen of the device, putting the speaker on. He grins when the number dialed is answered.

"Hello?" Kate brings the phone to her ear.

"Oh thank God." Sharon clears her throat again, a vain attempt to hide her emotion, "Katie, baby. It's Mommy. Where are you?"

"Mommy, I can't talk right now. I'm feeding my baby." She makes a face on the other end

"Your baby?"

"My new doll that my brother bought just for me. I don't even have to share it." She shakes her head.

Sharon nods slowly, "Is Eve with you?"

"She's sleeping." Kate picks her head up when the word 'Kalila' is called, "Sorry, Mommy, I have to go."

"Baby, don't-" Sharon stops herself when she realizes the girl disconnected the call. She slowly looks to her husband, "Andy-"

"He was getting better, Shar." Andy replies quietly, unsure of what to do and not wanting to jeopardize his relationship with his son, who was just starting to trust him for the first time, by assuming the worst automatically.

"Before you guys start fighting or whatever, it sounds like Matt may be delusional. He called Kate by the name of Kalila. I'm pretty sure it was someone he knew when he was quiet. If he's calling Kate by that name, I'm betting it was a little girl he knew. Maybe a daughter. Dad, has he ever mentioned anyone-"

Andy shakes his head, "He doesn't talk to me about that."

Sharon nods slowly, "I asked him about that when I visited with Katie. That and Aman. He was very vague with them...and he was lying the whole time. I think you're right, Rusty."

"That's why he did what he did to Eve, he thought she was his girlfriend." Rusty looks at her, then to Andy, "I think the best bet would be to go to his apartment, but you should take backup because he may become violent if he feels he's being cornered."

Andy nods, "I'll call Provenza, get everyone together."

"Julio can't rush over there." Sharon sighs, "He's going to want to."

Rusty nods, "Tell them to keep who it is quiet. That way he'll treat it as another kidnapping case." He sighs, shrugging, "I don't know, it's just an idea."

"You're right." She nods, "Rusty, I want you to come with us. Maybe you can talk him down or tell us the best way to."

"I wasn't going to let you leave me behind." The young man smirks.

Andy moves away from them, on his mobile phone. He tells Louie Provenza the whole story before giving him orders to get everyone together and to head over, but not to give them details. "Let's go." He nods to them.


	14. Chapter 14

Slowly opening her eyes, Eve comprehends that this is not the room she was staying in at her mother's house. She doesn't know where she is. Her head spins slightly. Bringing her hand to her mound, caressing it worriedly. Slowly sitting up, she quickly realizes that she doesn't feel the pain she once did every second. It causes a grin to seep across her face.

Kate stands in the doorway, watching her sister, "You're awake."

Eve jumps slightly, "That was really creepy of you, Katiebug."

She smiles, taking a running leap onto the bed, "You were sleeping a long time. You must have been tired." She stands jumping on the large bed.

"Where are we, Katie?" The older of the two could almost swear this was a dream. It's almost as if everything has a haze over it, "Are you okay?"

"Uh huh." Kate bounces into a sitting position next to her sister, "My other brother and me were playing with my doll. He bought it just for me, can you believe it?"

"Your other brother..." It takes her a moment to realize just whom her little sister was referring to, Eve's eyes widen when it dawns on her, "Matt. Are we at Matt's house?"

Walking through the hallway, Matt calls in a hushed voice, "Kalila, leave your mother alone. She needs her rest." He grins as he peers into the room, "Hey. I didn't know you were awake. Feeling any better?" His eyes are bright and happy, the first time Eve has ever seen him in that way.

Eve shakes her head a little, "What's happening?"

"You were exhausted. Baby wasn't letting you sleep. Doc on base said it would be alright to give you an antihistamine. I slipped you a little Benedryl in your juice. You can be pissed all you want, but you slept finally." He smirks, stepping over to her and kissing her lips tenderly.

She puts her hand up when he moves away, was he always this way? "You're scaring me. Why am I here?"

"Aman, what are you talking about? You're home. We're home." He sighs, "You feeling okay? Need me to get you something? Dinner is almost ready."

Aman. That was the named he called her before. Eve swallows, "Can't you just take me home? Even if it's to my-"

"You are home, sweetheart." Matt swallows, "I'm worried. I'll get you some water." He nods, walking away toward the kitchen.

"He calls me Kalila." Kate nods, "I like that name. It sounds like a princess."

"Katie, we are in a lot of trouble right now." She whispers, "I wish I had my phone right now."

"You do. Mommy and Rusty called me."

"Did they?" Eve nods, smiling softly, "They know where we are?"

"I don't know. I used your phone and I don't know what I did with it-" She glances to her sister sheepishly, "I broke it."

"You broke my phone?"

"The screen is broken."

Eve offered her a smile. Of course it was broken. "Does it turn on?" When the little girl shook her head that it did not, she began to laugh, "My luck. I'm stuck with a nut job two weeks from my induction date and my phone is broken."

"In...induc..." Kate tries, shaking her head.

"Induction date."

"What is it?"

"The date they're-" Eve stops herself, running a hand over the girl's back, "Don't worry about it." She rises from the bed, walking into the living room. Maybe if she plays into this delusion, it will break sooner. She'd seen it at the hospital before.

Matt glances up, seeing her, "Sorry I didn't hurry with the water. I thought the rice was burning...it wasn't, but I thought it was."

"I didn't know you cooked."

"I cook whenever I'm home with you. You know that." He smiles to her.

"Sorry, I forgot." Eve looks around. The place is nicely decorated with many male with exception to the orchids in a tall vase on the kitchen table. She smiles, "Orchids."

"They're your favorite, aren't they?" Matt glances over to her, putting things on plates and carrying them over to the table, "You saw them in one of my pictures once...you said you liked them."

She nods, "My grandmother always had them around the house when I was growing up...my mother did too." Leaning over slightly, she smells it. Maybe this was some kind of sign that everything would be okay.

He shook his head a little, knowing they were native to that part of the world and nearly nonexistent. Her bizarre behavior worried him, but he would deal with it if it appeared to worsen, "Kalila, dinner." He calls, leaning over to place his lips against Eve's temple after she sits, "Chicken and rice. I hope you like it."

"Why wouldn't I like chicken and rice?" Her eyes never leave him, not wanting to give him the upper hand.

"You said you've never had chicken before."

"Ah." She nods, "Well, first time for everything." Watching him from the corner of her eye, Eve glances to Kate, "Do you like it?"

Kate slowly looks up at her, a pocketful of food in her cheek. She smirks, nodding.

"Good." Her eyes dart over to the front door when she hears a loud knock. A sigh of relief rushes over Eve, though it didn't last long, it was over.

Matt shakes his head, "No. You girls stay here. I'll take care of it." He pulls his gun from his belt holster. For some reason, it didn't register that he was in a pair of fatigue pants and tan shirt.

"No." She yells, "We'll ignore it. Don't-" Tears start to form in Eve's eyes, "You don't have to do all of that."

Andy glances over to his wife from the other side of the door. Hearing the yelling from inside. "Come on, Matthew." His gaze returns to the door, "Matt, it's your father. Open up."

"Bullshit, my father wouldn't come all the way here for me. My father wouldn't do anything for me." Matt stands by the front door, his hand still on his weapon though he had returned it to its holster.

Rusty sighs, listening, "He thinks he's overseas. He doesn't mean coming all the way to his apartment, he means all the way to his base or wherever he thinks he is. Not here." He could see the hurt in Andy's eyes, but decides not to call attention to it. He knows Sharon can see it as well.

"We're just doing a check. Everyone okay in there?" Sharon calls, placing her ear up against the door to hear better.

"Mommy." Kate grins, then looks to her sister. "Mommy is at the door."

"Aman, you alright?" Matt looks to Eve, "Why are you crying, sweetheart?"

The frustration and worry only builds within Sharon. She pulls her lips together, biting them from inside as she rests her back against the wall. "Is she okay?" She can't cry, she won't lose tact of the situation by crying. She cannot do that.

"What the hell is it to you whether or not my wife is okay?" Matt almost barks, "Get the fuck away from here."

"Not nice!" Kate yells at him.

Andy smirks, hearing his youngest child in her full glory, "Alright, we'll go away. Call us if you need anything." He motions for Sharon and Rusty to move down the hall. "We're not leaving from here. I don't think he's hurting them."

"He has the potential and the means. I heard the safety pulled from his gun." Sharon gives him a look, "Don't tell me you didn't hear that."

"I'm ignoring it right now. We can wait on the stairs." He goes to put his arm around his wife, only to have her shrug him off.

"Rusty, what do you think the course of action should be here?" Sharon knew of their usual tactics, but this was different, "You seem to have the best grip on Matthew Flynn." She was referring to him with his full name, thinking of him as a suspect.

"Uh..." Rusty looks up to the window where the apartment is, "He has a clear view of us from here. He's going to be watching now. My best advice would be to go over there," He points to a building across the street, "Or at least have someone over there watching with binoculars or whatever it is cops use, just to get a full assessment." He stops them before they exit the building, "If he sees us on the steps, he may turn violent. I don't believe him to be a naturally violent person though. He may have put a sleeper hold on me, but he'd never hurt Eve and Kate. I'm almost sure of it."

She nods slowly, licking her lips before removing her glasses and staring at the ground in thought.

Andy watches through the window, "Here comes the cavalry."


	15. Chapter 15

"The girls alright?" Louie Provenza exits the car from the passenger door, walking inside. He would run if it was a thing he did. "Andy, the girls alright?"

Before the man got inside, Andy glances to Sanchez, still talking to his friend, "He know?"

"No, I didn't tell him. I didn't want to worry about him racing over with his gun while we were worrying about bigger things." He sighs, "Are the girls okay?"

Nodding, Andy glances to Sharon, who decided to take refuge at the other end of the hall, away from him, "She's pissed at me."

"Why? You didn't know. He never did anything like this before."

"Except he did." He leans an arm up above his head against the wall, "Thought Eve was his wife and tried to have his way with her in the kitchen not long ago. Sharon told me to do something about it then, but he's still my son. I'm not going to kick my son out."

Louie takes his hat off, running a hand over his head before placing it back on, "This isn't good, Flynn."

"Tell me about it." Andy mumbles, nodding to the others when they enter, "Buzz, you bring the snake camera?"

Buzz glances to him, nodding, "I figured some of the gaps under these doors were of decent size for me to wedge it under. That way, we'll have a clear view of the kidnapper and the hostages."

"They aren't hostages." Andy shakes his head.

"Yes, Flynn, they are." Provenza shakes his head.

Noticing the people enter, Sharon walks to them, "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."

"This is a family thing. We weren't going to ignore it." The older man offers her a sympathetic smile.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the situation, Captain? Provenza was a bit opaque on the phone about it." Tao watches her, taking note that Rusty was with them as well.

Andy doesn't move as she continues, standing in the same position as he stares through the window, "The suspect's name is Matthew Flynn." Sharon's gaze moves to Sanchez, "The hostages are Katherine Flynn and Eve Raydor."

"What?" Julio glances to the stairs, wanting to barge up them to protect the mother of his child.

"This is a very delicate situation. Suspect is armed and delusional." She swallows, placing a hand on his upper arm.

Rusty looks to them, "I don't think he will hurt them. He believes them to be his wife and child from when he was in the military. I don't know what happened to them, but if he's acting like Katie and Eve are them, it must not have been good."

"He was great with Kate when we visited. Eve is the only one I worry about with all the issues she's been going through with this pregnancy...and what happened to her in the kitchen a month or so back." The older woman bites the corner of her mouth, folding her arms together.

"Does she have her insulin or medication?" Sanchez asks absently. Wanting to barge up the stairs, however, he doesn't want to put either female in trouble. He pauses, "What happened in the kitchen?"

Sharon's eyes return to Flynn, but then travel to the other man, "During a delusion, he believed Eve to be his wife. We didn't know it at the time, but that's who he thought she was. He-" She pauses, glancing toward the staircase as to not allow herself to cry, "He nearly raped her. However, she forgave him and it wasn't done out of malice, so I forgave him."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Sanchez shakes his head, the anger in him rising and it's obvious, "Why didn't anyone do anything about him then?"

"He started seeing a therapist and went to group therapy. He was doing well." Rusty nods, "Sometimes these things happen and there's no stopping them."

"If he hurts her-"

"I know. I feel the same way." The young man nods to him, "Don't worry. I don't think he will. Especially with her being so pregnant."

"She's supposed to be induced in a couple weeks." Julio places his hands at his sides, not knowing what to do with them, and not thinking it would be in his best interest to punch a wall.

Sharon glances to him, "She is?" Her eyes widen some, surprise covering her face.

"Well, I guess there's things she tells me and there's things she tells you." He looks to her, folding his arms.

"Alright, this, is not going to help Eve." Rusty shakes his head, "So stop."

Buzz sighs, holding up the camera snake, "I'll go try this. What apartment?"

"G Five." Andy mumbles.

Sykes watches everyone with uncertainty, "I'm sure everything will work out." She nods, starting to follow Buzz, but pausing midway, "Wait, Matthew Flynn...I remember him."

Andy glances over his shoulder to her, "Yeah? Got something that could help us?"

"He was married to one of the Arab girls. They had a little girl. He brought the girl to base a few times." Amy smirks, shaking her head, "Small world."

"What happened to them?" He looks to her.

"Don't know. He just...asked to be discharged. Talked to my superior and they kind of just let him go. Felt real bad for him, but didn't say what happened exactly." She shakes her head.

"Thank you, Amy." Sharon nods, then glances to her husband. She swallows, moving to him and wrapping her arms around his midsection. Her face against his chest, she feels his arms wrapped around her in return.

"Just saying, this might be from that." Sykes offers her a smile before following Buzz the way up the stairs.

Eve stands at the sink, washing the dishes from dinner, "Dinner was good." Her voice was small, worried, but she knows she must keep up the charade.

"Thank you." Matt smiles to her, glancing out the window once more, "Looks like they left. Sorry. I know they get crazy with you whenever I'm here."

"It's okay." She can't believe what she was saying, "It's okay, Matt."

Kate sits in the recliner chair, turning up the massage part as she watches the television. She quickly falls asleep because of it.

Matt grins, "She looks like you when she sleeps." He motions to the girl with a nod of his head.

Eve clears her throat, walking over to him to see what he was talking about. She nods a little, "I guess so."

He places his hands on either side of her belly, "I can't wait for this one...my boy."

"It's suppose to be a -" She stops herself, knowing that isn't what he knows to be true, "Yeah." She nods, just agreeing with him. Eve moves his hand over a lump, "That is an entire foot."

Matt chuckles, "Damn if you can't. That's crazy."

"I know." She offers him a smile, "Could you go put her in bed? I don't want her neck to hurt in the morning if she stays there."

"Of course." He leans in, kissing her lips tenderly before going to the living room.

Eve glances down, having noticed the camera snake from the corner of her eye. She holds up a finger, waiting for him to go to the other room. She leans do the door, "We're fine. He thinks I'm his wife though, but we're fine."

Sykes hears her through the door and nods, "Julio is downstairs."

"Tell him I'm fine. I think it might be best if we ride this out. I remember at the institution, some of the nurses would do that for some of the patients and they'd snap out of it on their own. Not a big deal." She swallows, "I'll have Katie pass you notes under the door if anything comes up."

Nodding, Amy sighs, "Sanchez mentioned something about insulin."

"I'm okay. I'll know if it's off." She clears her throat, "He's coming back." Eve turns, smiling to him.

"How about we go lay in bed? Watch a movie? I know you aren't up for much else...I just want to hold you." Matt watched her. His eyes were clearly full of love, but she knew that love wasn't for her, it was for his dead fiance and this was all a dream.

Eve nods a little, taking his hand. Though terrifying, this actually wasn't all that bad. There wasn't an ounce of violence in him toward her, nor Katie. The manner in which he got them there was still a mystery to her, but it was all okay so far.

"Do you want one of my old t-shirts? I know you like to wear them to bed."

"With this huge child?"

"Never stopped you before." Matt smirks, shrugging. He takes the short sleeved shirt from his drawer, offering it to her.

"I'm sorry. I have a terrible memory." Eve shakes her head as she takes the shirt from him.

He laughs softly, "They call it baby brain. I read it somewhere...in one of those books."

She smirks, starting to walk toward the bathroom.

"Wait, can't you change here? It's been a long time since you've let me see you." Matt isn't being perverted, he genuinely loved every inch of Aman, however Eve is not Aman.

"I..." Eve swallows, nodding a little, "I guess I...I guess I can."

He nods, slowly lying on the bed and folding his hands behind his head, "You never let me see you anymore. You're breathtakingly beautiful and you..." He shrugs, "Is it because of the stretch marks?"

"It's...It's because of a lot of things." First of them being that I'm your step sister. Second is that this is weird. Third is that I'm as big as a house. "Mostly the stretch marks."

"I saw this bumper sticker once that said stretch marks are like tiger stripes, being that you've earned every one." Matt watches her intently, "It's never been more true for you."

Aman and her had that in common, but she doesn't believe that's what he's really referring to, "How so?"

"They've tried to get to you like three times now. Because your husband isn't at home with you all the time. Plus, your husband isn't one of them." He motions to himself, "I don't even look like them. I mean, I guess I could get away with it because of the dark hair, but they know."

Eve nods slowly, her back facing him. Her whole body sore, she sits there a moment in her bra and panties, rolling up the short sleeved shirt to pull on.

"Do you need help?" His tone sounding genuinely concerned.

Shaking her head, she glances to him over her shoulder, "No, they hurt. Sometimes it's better to keep them in the bra." Eve licks her lips, in thought, "It's hard to do this...Putting myself and my body through this..."

"I know. You're earning your stripes." Matt smirks, "Want a backrub?"

"A..." She smiles to herself, shrugging, "Yeah, okay."

He moves to his knees, edging his way over to her. His hands are softer than she imagined they'd be, the skin feeling as if it's moisturized on a daily basis. "Is that too hard?" His thumbs gently knead her lower back.

"Oh God, no." Eve breathes out, closing her eyes. Feeling a twitching in her lower belly, she smiles, "Baby likes it too, I think."

Matt grins, rubbing for a few more minutes and noticing her tip to one side and then the other. "Babe, why don't you lay down before you fall over?" He helps put her shirt on.

She yawns, nodding. Eve couldn't help but feel guilty that she was partaking in this. He'd have to relive their death all over again and this really wasn't fair to Julio, who she had mixed emotions over to begin with. "Wake me when Ka-" She stops herself, "Kalila gets up."

"I'm more than capable of taking care of her." He smirks.

"I don't doubt it, but she's weird. She wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes and likes to cuddle with Mom in her room." Eve yawns again, edging herself onto the bed more, lying on her left side, she kind of hated that she was facing him.

"Tonight will be no different." Matt leans in, kissing her head before wrapping his arms around her.

Eve feels her closed eyes sting with tears. This is hard, but it is probably only going to get harder as time goes on.


	16. Chapter 16

Andy stares up at the moon in the middle of the night via their large windows in the bedroom. His hands in his pockets. His mind deep in thought.

"_Dad, can you show me how to throw a curveball? Mom said you knew how...Said you were the best at it." A young Matthew Flynn stares up at his father, all of six years old, "I want to be a baseball player when I grow up."_

_Andy looks down at him, shaking his head, "Your mother was being a smartass. I'm not good at it. I can show you where your fingers go through." He sighs, crouching next to the boy._

"_Will you play catch with me?" He bites his lip, staring at his father, "Please?"_

"_I have to be at work in about twenty minutes. I can do it tomorrow." The older man offers him a smile._

_Matt sighs, shaking his head, "What about the father and son game with school?"_

"_What about it?" Andy watches as his son backs away from him a few steps, "When is it?"_

"_Tomorrow."_

"_I wish you'd have told me sooner, kid. I have to work. No one will cover for me on such short notice." He stands up fully, adjusting the radio on his hip._

_Matt takes his glove off, throwing it at Andy's feet, "I hate baseball." He runs into the house._

_Andy sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair. He tosses the small leather glove onto the porch before walking to his car. This would resolve itself._

"Hey." Sharon places her hand on his forearm, "You should try to sleep for an hour at least."

"I should have gone to the ballgame with him." Andy mumbles before looking down to her, "I'm sorry, Shar." He's been holding it in. Not wanting to be proven wrong, but now others were in danger. Even though it is his son, he can't ignore his daughter and pregnant stepdaughter either, "I should have listened to you. This could have all been avoided if we had done things your way."

"He's your son, Andy. He needs help." She shakes her head, "We will do that for him, but the only way-"

"The only way he's going to be helped is if he helps himself." He nods, "I know."

"We take care of our children...regardless of the circumstances." Sharon slides her arms around him, "Though I'm angry with Matt for injuring Rusty and I'm worried about what will happen when this is all over, they're all still going to be our children, Andy."

Flynn looks down to his wife, leaning in and kissing her deeply, "Thank you."

"I love you. No hostage situation is going to change that up on me." She kisses his lips again, "So, come to bed?"

"Why?"

"Because I can't sleep if you aren't with me. I need to hold onto you. I need you."

"Didn't think I was going to be allowed back into bed so soon." Andy smirks.

Sharon chuckles, "I'm feeling generous, I suppose." She nods, "Plus, Sykes and Sanchez have the first shift, so to say, and they reported nothing out of the ordinary, occurring. Looks like they really just went to bed."

He nods, "Fine. Guess we can too." He holds her hand, "I can't go to sleep without you either, anymore." Any picks her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckle.

Rising sun, peering through the windows and casting soft shadows against their faces. Matt Flynn opens his eyes, looking along his arm to see what young woman it was wrapped around. His mud colored orbs widen as he realizes it is none other than Eve Raydor. Slowly removing his hand from around her, he climbs out of bed. His hand travels to his mouth, stroking his stubble in deep regret. What could he possibly do to make up for this?

Eve slowly rolls onto her back, noticing he's staring at her. She squints her eyes, placing her arm over them to keep the sun out, "Morning." Her voice deep with sleep.

He clears his throat, "Hey." His eyes travel to her belly, which looked all too large for it to actually be part of her own body regardless of her condition, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Her tone is soft, "Kat...Kalila awake?" She uses the term or name he uses to refer to their little sister.

Matt pauses, staring at her. "My daughter..."

"That's...yeah..."

He swallows. That's what he brought them here for. He thought they were his family, "I'm sorry...She's still sleeping." He couldn't even remember the little girl being in his home again, more or less referring to her as his own daughter.

Eve moves her arm, looking to him. Something was different. The glaze of happiness gone from his face. "Matt..."

"You can't leave."

She smiles a little, giving a sigh of relief, "You've snapped out of it."

"You can't leave yet." He pulls on his fatigues that he had laid out next to the bed the night before. He straps his belt, placing his colt into the holster against his hip, "So, don't try to, alright?"

Terrified once more, Eve nods absently, "Tell me about them? Aman and Kalila."

"I..." Matt looks at her, folding his arms as he sits on the edge of the bed, "I don't know if I can."

"I could see how much you love them. I could see it in your eyes how much you loved them yesterday when you thought we were them."

"You remind me of Aman. She was my wife." He brings a hand up to his head, sliding it through his dark brown hair, "I met her when we stormed the city. Fell in love with her at first sight." He stares straight ahead, "She was an independent woman in her village. She needed a note from her father since she wasn't married in order for her to even leave her house...for her to even go to the market. Had to have it on her person at all times. Independent women were not a commodity often seen in her village...or any village over there."

"Is that what drew you to her? Her independent nature?"

"Part of it. She was smart, beautiful...everything I've ever wanted in a woman." He clears his throat, "We...we were together a few times before she realized she was pregnant. I married her. The village hated that. Not only was she marrying the enemy, it was a white guy, and she was pregnant with his baby."

Eve edges herself up a bit to a sitting position, the tightening sensation returning to her lower abdomen. She shakes her head, still wanting him to talk, "You were able to stay?"

"Few years. She had Kalila. That little thing was a spitfire." Matt grins, "She was her daddy's girl." Turning his body some, he faces his stepsister, "She was the bests parts of Aman and I."

"You seem like you'd be a very good father. I've noticed it with Katie."

He nods, swallowing, "We...we were expecting a son not long after Kalila's second birthday. I didn't want to leave, but I was ordered away on a short convoy...few days away from my family."

"Did the convoy last longer than expected?"

"No, but I got home and I noticed there was blood around the door frame leading into the house. I opened it and...they were dead on the floor. Looked like it only happened minutes before. They were still warm."

Eve looks to the ceiling, feeling tears form in her eyes, "Oh God...Matt, I'm-"

"Bullets right between the eyes on both of them. Quick and painless..." Matt looks away, "I just think about how scared my little girl must have been before they pulled the trigger. I was going to take them home with me. We were going to live here as a family."

Reaching a hand over to him and feeling another twinge as she places it on his back, she whispers, "I'm so sorry."

"She was innocent, Eve. Aman too...our unborn son... They were all innocent. The men in the village killed them. They feared me living there and they knew the only way to rid themselves of my presence was to kill my family."

"Of course." Eve pulls her hand away, feeling it begin to tremble. Unsure whether or not it's her glucose dropping, or simple emotion, "I'm sorry to...break whatever this is, but do you have any orange juice?"

"I don't know what's in there-" He begins to stand, only to be stopped by her.

"I need to walk around anyway. I'll be right back...promise." She stands, feeling the twinge in her lower abdomen worsen almost immediately. Eve grips the wall as she passes it, "Fuck." She hisses to herself.

Kate sits in the living room with her doll, watching morning cartoons as she lets the massaging chair rub her back. "Good morning." She grins.

"Oh thank God. Katie, come to the kitchen with me." Eve nods, smiling as the girl follows.

"We have movement." Sykes whispers, glancing to Sanchez who was sleeping with his head leaned back against the wall. She decides to let him sleep, knowing he didn't through the night. Amy picks up her phone, texting the Captain and informing her of what she's able to see via the camera snake's screen.

Sharon lightly walks crouched over, toward her. "Got your message. We were pulling up." She whispers, sliding her glasses down her nose to look at the video screen. "Something is off."

"I thought so." She smiles when Kate comes close to the screen, sliding a torn piece of Chinese food menu that she had folded up, under the heavy apartment door. "What's it say?"

Sharon's hand shakes slightly as she reads it, "He's back to normal. Won't let us leave. Has a gun. Not violent. I think I'm in labor."

Her smile fading, Amy looks to her superior officer, "What is our next course of action, Captain?"

Sanchez listens between the women, "The situation is dire now, ma'am."

"We have to wait." Sharon lets out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, "I just wish there was a way for us to talk to her. He may find a note if we slid one back and I can't risk that."

"You should let us break the door down." He folds his arms moving over to look at the camera a moment before returning to his seat, "Or have a guy across the street incapacitate him with a shot through the window. I could take that shot...you'd be better at it, though."

"I'm not shooting my stepson, Lieutenant Sanchez."

"Then you'd rather he shoot your daughters?" Julio shakes his head.

"They're my daughters. Don't you dare think, for one second, that I haven't weighed out each possible scenario and outcome in my head, Lieutenant." Sharon looks to him above her glasses, "I know, Julio, and we have to wait this out a bit longer."

Unable to stand for it anymore, Sanchez rises to his feet, "I'm going downstairs."

"I apologize for him, Captain. He was up most of the night." Sykes swallows, having never heard Sanchez lash out in such a way before, especially not to the Captain.

"Don't make excuses for him, Amy. He forgets that these are my children and she's pregnant with my grandchild. It's hard on all of us." Sharon bites her lip, watching her daughters through the camera still, "Hard on all of us."


	17. Chapter 17

Matt clears his throat, joining the women in the living room. He smirks, seeing Kate on the floor with cups she had obviously taken from his cabinets in the kitchen, "Are you having a tea party?"

Kate grins to her brother, nodding, "You're invited."

"Am I?" He sits across from her, "Did Eve help you get all of these down?"

"No. I climbed up. I'm a big girl. I like to climb." She poured water in the cup in front of him, "Here is your tea. It's Earl Grey."

Matt chuckles, "Earl Grey? Where have you heard that from?"

"It's what my mommy drinks and my sisters drink it too." Kate nods, "Mac is still at camp. She is a counselor there. She says it's her last year though."

"I know. I've spoken with her." He nods, "This tea smells great, Katie." Making a big production of it, he grins when she giggles.

The young girl pauses, looking to him, "You aren't calling me Kalila anymore?"

"That isn't your name."

"I thought it was my nickname."

"Oh." Matt nods slowly, "I think I'd rather call you Katie if that's okay."

"Kay." Kate shrugs, sipping the water from her hard plastic cup, "Good tea."

Eve groans, her body tensing for a moment, "Matt, can I see your watch?"

Hesitantly taking off his wristwatch, he hands it to her, "What do you need it for?"

"Nothing, it's okay."

"You're in pain." Matt stands, moving next to her, "It's the baby, isn't it..." Worry crosses his face as he slowly takes in her form, "You're in labor." When she looks to him, he continues, "Why didn't you tell me you were in labor?"

"I didn't want..." Eve flinches baring her teeth, "I didn't want you to worry about it."

"Come on." He reaches down, readying himself to take her into his arms, "You should have told me sooner. How long has it been going on?"

"Since last night, but the contractions weren't anything to worry about and I thought it was just...gas...to be honest." She uses a rubber hair tie from her wrist, pulling her thick hair through it a couple of times.

Matt kneels next to her, placing his hand on her belly, "Let's get you out of here."

"Thank you." Eve lets a tear fall from her eye and trickle down her cheek. She grips onto Matt when he lifts her into his arms.

"I would never let anything bad happen to you." He places a small kiss against her temple "Spending this time with you was really special to me. I thank you for letting me have my family back, if only for a day."

"It's okay. You have to mourn, Matt. It will get better." She leans against him.

"They're coming out." Buzz glances around, pulling out the camera snake from the door and stepping back, "He's carrying her."

Matt opens the locks on the door, looking to the people in front of him, "She's in pain."

Provenza glances to the others next to him before motioning for the young man to go downstairs, "I drove my patrol car this morning. Put her in there. Captain, show him the way...Sanchez..." He nods as Sharon follows her stepson closely. Louie knows he must take charge of this situation since his boss and partner were both much too close to this.

Sanchez is seething. He wants to attack this man and it's very obvious.

"This isn't the time or the place." Louie nods, holding up his keys for the younger man to take, "You're going to be a father today, Julio. Think about that instead." He smirks when he takes his keys, trudging behind the Captain, his girlfriend, and the man he wants to kill.

Andy enters into the apartment, noticing his younger daughter still sitting on the floor. He smiles, "Looks like they left you in here."

"He left in the middle of my tea party." Kate pouts, folding her arms.

"For an important reason." Andy picks his youngest child up, into his arms and holds her tightly, "Are you okay?" He buries his face face into her thick auburn hair, rubbing her back. He didn't think his son would ever be capable of harming the girl, but then he didn't know his son very well and it pains him.

"What is more important than a tea party?"

"You'll see." He smiles, carrying her into the hall.

Kate glances around, "Hi, Uncle Louie." She grins to him when she catches sight of him, "Everybody is here."

Provenza reaches up, taking the girl's hand into his own when she offers it to him, "Hey, Katie." He smirks.

"What did the Captain say she wanted to happen?" Andy refers to his wife to her title when they work together. This, being a sensitive situation, was no different, "Did she give any orders?"

"She said she was leaving it up to Eve." Louie nods slowly.

Stopping in his tracks, Flynn looks to his closest friend, "Yeah?"

"Said we don't really know what happened in there and Eve does. She gets to make the call." He sighs, walking with his friend again, "Is this uh...I don't know how to make heads or tails out of it. Is this a good or a bad thing?"

"I have no idea. I'm...I just want him to get help, you know?"

Provenza nods, "Did you want to head to the hospital? I can take her with me."

"I can, uh, I'll call Sharon and see how things are there."

"She's not upset, Flynn."

"I know," Andy looks to his friend, "Should I call his mother?"

Louie shrugs, "But you should probably call Mac. Let her know what happened."

"She's due home this weekend, I think."

"It's kind of a big deal, Flynn."

"Don't you think I know that?" Andy glares, his voice grows angry, frustrated almost, "My only son kidnaps my daughter and stepdaughter. I know what it is. I know what needs to happen. I don't know if it will though."

Kate pats her father on the arm, returning her head to his shoulder, "It's okay, Daddy. He isn't confused anymore." The girl is more intuitive and smarter than most at her age.

Flynn calms slightly, "I know, baby."

Kate pulls the doll her brother purchased closer to herself, not having let it go since the start of the entire ordeal, "Are we going to the hospital? Like Uncle Louie said?"

"I wasn't going to make you."

"I miss Mommy." She says softly, looking up to her father as he buckles her into her booster seat.

"Then to the hospital we shall go." Louie nods, taking the keys to the Captain's personal vehicle from Flynn.

"Oh no. You are not driving." Andy shakes his head.

Provenza raises his eyebrows, "And why not?"

"I'd like to get there sometime this year...and in one piece."

"I am not that slow, nor that reckless." He hands him back the keys, grumbling as he climbs in on the passenger side. Flynn takes a seat behind the wheel.

Kate giggles, watching them, "You two are funny."

"Funny?" Louie looks back to her, then to his friend, "She says we're funny."

Andy smirks, starting the call and pulling off, "Your Uncle Louie may be funny looking, sweetheart-"

"Hey now!"

Kate laughs even harder, watching them intently.


	18. Chapter 18

"This is your fault. You made her go into labor because you don't know how to keep your fucking paws off of her." Sanchez glares at the man, his body ready to attack, "You're obsessed with her."

"Stop, please." Eve watches him from her position on the hospital bed, an elderly nurse gently wraps a monitor to her midsection, watching as a paper ticker keeps track of the fetus's heartbeat.

"You ignore her. Treat her like garbage. She deserves better than that." Matt was just as ready to defend the young woman's honor. He doesn't yell, but his voice is raised.

"Gentlemen, if you can't keep your voices down, I'm going to have to ask the both of you to leave." The older nurse looks between them, gently placing a needle for an intravenous line into the young patient's arm. She looks to Eve, "You have a lot on your plate."

"Tell me about it." Eve mumbles.

"Your mother is just outside, finishing the last of your paperwork."

"Tell her to hurry, please. I think she's the only one able to keep the peace between these two idiots." The men continue to argue, but it's very obvious to the older nurse that the young woman isn't completely some helpless maiden. "If they're still at it in fifteen minutes-"

"I'll send them to the waiting room." She nods, "Your blood pressure is a little high. I'll be back in a half hour regardless."

"Thank you, Maxine."

"Don't mention it." The older woman, does one last check of each monitor and the IV line before stepping through the doorway.

"We were better off without you here." Julio continues.

Matt shakes his head, smirking, "That's not what your girl said last night when we were in bed together."

Sharon stops Julio's fist as he begins to form it, "I can hear the both of you all the way down the hall. Do you really think that's the right thing to do right now?" She glares between them, "Break it up, immediately."

"Why is he even in here?" Sanchez glares, not willing to take his eyes off of the younger man.

"I asked him to be." Eve nods, "I'm allowed three people. You and Mom being the obvious first two, the third slot was open."

"What about Rusty?"

"What about him?" She raises an eyebrow, "I asked him a few weeks ago. He said he's better after the fact."

Folding his arms, Julio continues, "He hurt you. He stole you from your bed."

"There were other factors at play before. I said I want him here and what I want is the lay of the land while I'm hooked up to all of these fucking machines pushing your kid out, so shut up, please." Eve nods, her tone even and calm.

Sharon smirks, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed, "If they let you deliver naturally."

She sighs, tilting her head toward her mother, "I'd rather I didn't, frankly."

"You get to make the call, honey." She gently takes her elder daughter's hand into her own, checking her mobile phone with the other, "I text Rusty and let him know what was going on. He said he's on his way. Mac is unreachable at the moment. Chad and Tricia are on their way as are your grandparents."

Eve grins, "Look at you, you're excited."

"Of course I'm excited. It isn't everyday you get a first grandchild...or become a grandmother for the first time." Sharon reciprocates her daughter's emotion, "It's more than excitement, sweetheart. I haven't even seen the baby yet and I'm in love." She slides her phone back into her pocket, "You look terrified."

"I am." She whispers, "Very much so."

"Of the pain?"

"No...I've dealt with pain before, it's...what happens when she's here? I'm...what if I blank and she's crying and I don't know what to do?"

Sharon gives a throaty chuckle, placing a cherry cough drop into her mouth, "That's the fears of every first time parent."

"You too?" Eve swallows.

"Of course." She nods, "With you I lost my figure, with Chad I lost my sanity-"

The younger woman giggles, "I would have too..."

"Really, I had terrible postpartum depression." Sharon shakes her head, "I couldn't hold him for a week. I would feed him, but your grandmother took care of him during that time."

"I don't remember that. Where was I?"

"Where were you usually, Eve?" When her daughter begins to giggle, She does as well, "You were in the trees somewhere. I wanted you to do ballet and all these other things...and where were you most of the time? Climbing trees."

Eve smirks, "I can still do it, you know."

"I don't doubt that."

"And what are you talking about my taking your figure...you have always looked this way. Thin and gorgeous."

Sharon shakes her head, "I had a lot of stretch marks. I still do and not even from Katie. The faded ones are from you."

"Okay, okay fine. What did Katie take from you?" Eve smirks, watching her mother intently.

"Nearly four pints of blood and my life." She nods, "It was dangerous when she was born. If it weren't for Andrea Hobbs, we would probably both be dead... I'm glad you aren't in that situation."

The younger woman sighs, gripping her mother's hand through a contraction, "Fuck, it hurts."

"It's only for a few minutes, don't worry. Breathe through it." Sharon nods, reaching her other hand over to stroke her hair.

Matt stands there, arms folded, "Can't even be there for her now, you're more worried about beating me up." He motions to Eve.

"You are a threat to her safety." Sanchez says through clenched teeth.

"Alright, I have had enough of it. Both of you, go get some coffee, go get a drink...I don't give a damn where ever of you go, as long as you aren't here right now." Maxine yells to them as she stands just inside the doorway, "Let's go."

"It's my kid." Julio gives her a look.

"So do your first act as a father and let this go...also listen to me... If your girlfriend could forgive him, even going to such lengths as to inviting him in the birthing room, there must be a reason." The woman nodded to them, her lavender scrubs accentuating the blue tinged gray of her hair, "So, gentlemen, go take a break. I don't want to have to ban either of you from this room. I can promise you, you will be notified."

Sanchez turns to Eve, "I don't want to leave you." His expression softening.

Eve notices it quickly and offers him a smile, "Mom's right here and she's a better shot than either one of you."

Matt chuckles, looking to Sharon, "Yeah?"

"You'd be surprised." Sharon smirks to him, "Anything develops, I'll call you myself, Julio."

Sanchez nods, walking around to the other side of the bed. He leans down and kisses Eve tenderly on the lips before walking out with Matt Flynn.

Standing, Sharon folds her arms, moving over to look at the fetal heart monitor, "You knew inviting him into the room was going to cause trouble. Not only am I shocked that you've done so, I'm shocked you want him here for the birth."

"I think it will give him closure." Eve adjusts herself on the bed, gripping the side rail as she experiences another contraction.

Her mother glances to her, able to see it on the monitor, "Breathe through it, Evey."

"I am." She grits her teeth a few minutes before looking to her mother once more, "Okay."

"How will it give Matt closure?"

Eve sweeps a curl from her face, "He was married over there. His wife and daughter were killed by the men in her village, and she was pregnant at the time. He missed the birth of his daughter and obviously his son, who died when his wife did."

"In what method were they killed?" Sharon looks to the paper, "You're about to get another one."

"They're closer together." She groans, still talking and attempting to keep her mind from the pain, "Execution style. Both of them. Even the little girl."

"Breathe, Evey."

Eve nods, "They were left there-" She pauses leaning back again when it subsides, "They were left there for Matt to find. It was for him to get the message to go away. He found his pregnant wife and two year old daughter dead, Mom."

Sharon places her fingers lazily over her mouth, shaking her head, "I couldn't even...I wouldn't even want to imagine his pain..."

"The...inability to deal with it...it's why he has the delusions. Everything comes from that. I think this will give him closure-"

"Or make him worse." She mumbles under her breath.

"Mommy?" Kate looks into the room, grinning when she sees her mother pacing. She flings herself into her arms.

"My baby girl. I'm so sorry I left you like that." Sharon shakes her head, kissing the girl's temple, she looks to the doorway, seeing her husband. Quickly walking to him, she plants a tender kiss upon his lips. "Maxine kicked the boys out."

"Maxine?" Andy raises an eyebrow, wrapping an arm around her as he walks to the bed.

"The nurse put in charge of me." Eve nods, offering him a smile, "Thanks for coming, Andy."

"Wouldn't miss it. What can we consider this? My step-grandchild?"

"Giving that my actual father is dead, I think we can get away with just regular grandchild now."

Sharon smiles softly, rubbing Kate's back, "Are you okay, baby?"

Kate nods, "Is Evey sick?" She leans her head forward to touch her mother's.

"No, honey, she's having the baby."

"And I can play with it?"

"Not right away, but you can most certainly hold her when she's born."

"It's a girl?" When her mother nods, Kate grins, her eyes widening, "Like me?"

"If she's anything like you, than Eve is in a world of trouble, but yes." Sharon grins, chuckling.

Flynn takes Eve's hand, "You in pain?"

"Honestly or not honestly?" Eve smirks, looking into her stepfather's deep brown eyes.

"How about, for shits and giggles, we hear not honestly first?"

She laughs softly, "Not honestly, it is the greatest feeling in the world. Like...a full body massage all of the time."

"And now honestly..."

"A very large child is attempting to make it's way through my body using the only orifice it has access to. What do they say...Like trying to squeeze a grape through your-"

"I've heard it before." Andy puts a hand up, stopping her as he chuckles.

She sighs, "I have a headache."

Maxine walks back into the room, "Hey there, honey." She looks around the room, "I thought you said this was your first..."

"It is. That's my sister. Theirs." She motions between her mother and Flynn.

"Oh, well I see." The older woman looks between them, her face displaying a clear look of being impressed. She smiles, her gaze returning to Eve, "I noticed on the monitor that connects to a screen out at the desk that your blood pressure is very high and climbing. Something we in the biz call preeclampsia. So, here's the deal, we need to break your water. However, you get to decide on whether or not you want an epidural-"

"I want an epidural."

"Okay, the anesthesiologist is on her way over regardless, but I'm going to give you forms about a cesarean section if things-"

"I'd rather have a c-section." Eve nods, smiling softly, "They already said the kid is huge. I don't want to screw up the plumbing more than it already is if I don't have to."

"Well, now, that was easy. Wish all my patients were like you." Maxine grins, "We'll still check things out and use it as a last resort if your fears are still founded. I'll bring in the papers and you may just have a baby in an hour or so if the doctor says that's the way to go." She pats her hand before walking out.

"Did she say an hour or so?" Sharon looks to her daughter, a smile slowly forming.

"Call Julio." Eve stares at the ceiling, the terror setting in. This is happening too fast.


	19. Chapter 19

Rusty walks into the waiting room, seeing his family and Lieutenant Provenza. "Didn't expect to see you here." He grins to the older man, taking a seat next to him.

"Had nothing else better to do." Provenza shrugs, "Plus, someone has to keep the others updated. Lord knows Flynn won't bother to. Liz has been calling me every twenty minutes demanding for updates. Women and babies, Rusty."

He grins, "Everything worked out?"

"Something like that. Matt snapped out of it. She invited him to stay during the birth."

"What?" Rusty makes a face.

"Hand to God." Provenza puts a hand up, scrolling through his phone with the other.

"That is just ridiculous."

"Exactly. I thought she'd at least ask Andy."

"She probably wasn't thinking." Rusty folds his arms, smiling to his adoptive grandparents, "I didn't even see you, Gram."

Evelyn Rooney smiles to the young man, "We should have had a baby shower."

"Now, Evelyn, not everybody likes stuff like that." John Rooney, her husband, shakes his head, "Eve's one of the people I don't think would like it much."

"Doesn't matter. Could have been a family one." She shakes her head, "Poor girl needs things for that baby."

"I've bought some things, Julio's been stockpiling, I believe. Mom has become a regular fixture at Nordstroms in the past few months." Rusty grins, "I'm sure she's fine, Gram."

"I worry about her. With all the things from before..."

"I know, but that incident and the repercussions from it only made her a stronger woman than she once was." He nods, "Though it was a terrible experience as a whole, in retrospect, she would be completely different today. I, personally, love the person she is today. Not so much as a largely pregnant person, but before that."

"Pregnant women are beautiful, Eve is no exception." Provenza glances to the young man.

"Don't twist my words. I never said she wasn't beautiful."

Evelyn leans forward, "I understand, Rusty." She pats his knee.

John glances to the large windows, seeing Sanchez run by, "Something has happened." He mumbles, rising from his seat and sliding his hands into his pockets. He moves to the door, watching as his granddaughter's hospital bed is rushed toward the Maternity OR doors.

His wife rises from her seat and moves to him, sliding her hand around his arm, "What could have happened?"

"I'm just as in the dark as you are, Ev." John sighs.

Andy carries his younger daughter in his arm, her head against his shoulder. He looks up slowly, noticing his in-laws looking at him. He offers them a smile, "She's fine."

Evelyn walked down the hall a little to walk to the room with him, "Eve's fine?

He nods, "Her blood pressure wasn't stabilizing...pre-eclampsia, they call it. Best treatment for it is delivery." Andy grins to her, hoisting his younger daughter's sleeping form up a bit, "She was losing consciousness, so this is best."

"Cesarean?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Thank God." She places her hand over her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.

Entering the room, he smiles to the other people sitting there, "Hopefully not too much longer, everyone."

Rusty grins to him, "Alright, grandpa."

"She can call me whatever she wants." Andy smirks.

"What if she wants to call you shithead?" Provenza looks over to him, appearing in utmost earnest, "This is my grandmother and this is shithead. That's what the kid will say at school."

Rusty chuckles, then watches him, "I thought Matt was in the room with her during this."

"I did too. Sanchez said something him saying he needed to go home...that it was too much for him. They didn't fight. They just went to the bar and had a couple." Andy sits across from them, his younger daughter sound asleep with her head on his shoulder.

"Probably what they needed. I do wonder why they stayed together for their drinks though." Louie raises an eyebrow.

"Sanchez was ready to attack him when we were at the apartment." Rusty sighs, "I'm worried."

"You're always worried, kid. You're about to be an uncle, relax for once. You're going to end up going gray at a young age like Flynn."

"True." He pauses, "That sounds so weird...Uncle Rusty." He can't help but smile a little, "Being an only child, I never thought I'd get to-"

"You aren't an only child though." Louie turns his gaze to the younger man, "Haven't been for years now."

"I know." Rusty nods, leaning back in his seat, he folds his arms.

"You two finished?" Andy raises an eyebrow, smirking.

Provenza makes a face at him, pulling out his phone when it buzzes, "Shit. I've just got..." He shakes his head, "I'll be back in a little bit. If she has the baby before I get back, send me a picture. Remember, Rusty?"

"My phone will be taken over by pictures of my new niece just like it was my baby sister. I can spare a couple." Rusty grins to him.

"Thanks." He stands, walking to the door. This couldn't be good. He would never leave in a time so important to his best friend.

Andy shakes his head, noticing his daughter begin to stir on his shoulder.

Kate picks her head up, yawning. She looks around slowly, as she puts her head back down, taking in the smell of her father's aftershave. She smiles, "Rusty's here." She mumbles.

He smirks, "Yep. And your grandparents and Chad and Tricia. Everyone is here."

"Is the baby here yet?"

"I don't know. Mommy's back with Eve."

"What about my other brother?"

Andy leans his head back, still smiling, "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Kate snuggles her face closer to his neck, "Where did he go, though?"

"I really don't know, baby."

"Kay." The girl says softly, yawning, "It's been a long day, Daddy."

"Seems like it." Andy rubs her back gently, the room quiet with anticipation. He kisses her temple, "But, at the end of it all, we will have a new person in our family. Seems like a good trade off, doesn't it?"

Kate smiles, nodding, "Think so."

"Good."

"Where does it come from?"

He raises an eyebrow, "Where does what come from?"

"The baby? How does it get out?" She picks her head up, looking him in the eye, "I could touch her belly and feel it move around with her guts...how does it get out?"

"Oh, uh...well..." Andy looks at his younger daughter, attempting to find the words to provide her an answer, "Well..."

"Hey, Katie, how about we go to the window where you can see all the babies in their bassinets?" Rusty leans forward, laughing a little at her question to her father.

Katie looks to Rusty, leaning toward him, "Brand new babies?"

"Yep. Just born within the past few days most of them. Come on." He takes the girl's hand, leading her to the door.

"Hey, Rusty." Andy calls from his seat.

"Yeah?" The younger man turns for a brief moment, looking to the man calling him.

A smirk grows across Andy's face, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just come up with an answer. She'll want one when we get back." Rusty grins, "Or throw the Hail Mary and tell her to ask her mother." He nods, leading the girl out of the room.


	20. Chapter 20

Julio holds a large infant in his arms, a smirk across his face. The sense of pride welling within him almost radiated, "She's perfect." He nearly feels as if he could cry, but manages to hold it together for the sake of the rest of the room, "How is Eve, Captain?"

Sharon walks closer to him, touching his shoulder as she peers over him to her granddaughter, "In recovery. The blood pressure is lowering, but she's still under anesthesia." She reaches a hand in, letting the baby hold her finger, "I don't know how someone so big could fit in someone so tiny. The miracles of the human body." She feels nothing but pure joy.

Rusty knocks on the window, holding Kate in his arm. "See that one over there?"

Kate nods, "That's with Sanchez?"

He grins slowly, "Yeah, that's our new niece."

"It's a girl?" She asks excitedly.

"You can tell by the pink blanket." He lets the younger girl down when she squirms. "What are you doing?"

"My girl dance because I'm happy I have a baby sister."

Rusty shakes his head slowly, taking a knee in front of her, "That's not your sister. Eve is your sister...our sister."

Kate stops her dancing to look at him, "Then what is the baby?"

"Our niece. It means you're Aunt Katie now and I'm Uncle Rusty..." He pauses, laughing to himself, "That sounds so weird."

"Like Uncle Louie."

"Kind of, yes. Andy and Provenza are like brothers, so that makes him your uncle."

"And your uncle."

"Yeah, but I don't call him that. I've known him longer than you have." Rusty grins, "Want to see the baby again?"

Sharon knocks on the glass gently, now holding her granddaughter in her arm. She giggles softly when her son and younger daughter rise slowly from the ground. Him holding her in his arm once more.

Rusty laughs a little, "See that? Bald as you can get. Just like you were, Katie." He picks his phone up with his other hand, snapping a few photographs of Sharon with the baby and just the baby alone. "You look great with a baby in your arms again." He says to her, slipping his mobile phone into his pocket and putting his hand against the glass.

Sharon nods, putting her hand against his. She then lifts the baby's to the same place, "Go tell Andy to come back...all of them."

"You sure?" He asks, "It's going to be crazy, you know. There's a lot of people waiting."

"And all that crazy is still this little one's family. Like it or not." She grins, leaning her face down and kissing the top of the large baby's head.

Rusty nods, "Come on, Katie."

Kate shakes her head, squirming to get down, "I want to stay."

"You can't. You have to stay with me."

"Mommy is right here." She pouts, pointing to her mother, who was watching her with slightly pouted lips herself.

"Stop that. I hate it when you guys make the same face." Rusty furrows his brow, "What do you want me to do?" He looks to his mother.

"Go ahead." Sharon smiles to him, "She's okay." She waits for him to turn and walk down the hallway before she makes another face to her younger daughter.

Kate giggles, mimicking her. "Is my baby coming to live with us?"

"It's your baby now?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's all up to Eve, honey. She's welcome for as long as she wants to stay...Julio too."

Kate tilts her head to the side, "There enough room?"

"We'll make room. We always do." Sharon grins to her daughter, holding her granddaughter closer, "Julio, let the nurse know she's starting to get hungry?"

Julio nods, standing. He lets the nurse know of the infant's situation, unsure how it will be remedied.

Kate watches her intently, "Does my baby have a name?"

"Not yet. Got any suggestions?" Sharon grins.

"Jet Baby Jetpack." She replies honestly, without the slightest flinch.

Her mother attempts not to laugh, "That's a great suggestion. Have any more?"

"Princess Sparkle Honey."

Sharon brings her hand to her mouth, still able to communicate through the glass and still attempting to contain herself, "Both fantastic."

Julio grins as he listens to them. He walks over, taking the baby from the woman, "Alright, Poppy is here." He kisses the baby's cheek.

She turns, smirking to him at his sudden change into the role of protective father. It wasn't that she expected any less, but since he'd been absent the last few weeks from her daughter, it caused her to wonder. Sharon turns back to look at her daughter only to find she isn't there. "Kate?" She calls, flinching as she accidentally wakes half the nursery. "Sorry." She whispers to an attending nurse as she escapes through the side door, looking around for her younger daughter, "Katie?" She calls again.

Andy waves his hand, his daughter on his arm, "Right here."

Sharon gives a sigh of relief, placing her hand over her chest, "Don't run off like that anymore. Got it?"

"I ran to Daddy." Kate shrugs.

"Fair enough." She takes her husband's hand, leading him and grinning to the rest of her family since they were following him. "Okay, everyone, she doesn't have a name yet-"

"My baby doesn't have a name yet." Kate shakes her head to the group.

"But she looks like the Gerber baby." Sharon grins to Julio as he feeds his daughter a small bottle.

"Better in person." Rusty places his hand on his mother's shoulder, "Can't wait to hold her."

"Hey now, that baby makes me a great-grandfather. I get first dibs." John Rooney speaks up.

"And me a great-grandmother. I'll fight you for it." Evelyn Rooney grins to her husband, then daughter as she hugs her, "I'm glad we could be here, baby."

"Me too, mother." Sharon nods, hugging her mother in response. She watches as Julio hands the baby to the nurse so she can be put on oxygen. She hugs him tightly when he exits the side door.

Andy grins, "You're stuck with us now, Sanchez."

"Couldn't ask for better." Julio nods between them, looking to his Captain, "They said it's normal for large babies to need something to help them breathe."

"Of course. It's okay." Sharon smiles to him.

"Flynn." Provenza calls, running down the hall.

"He's running." Sanchez smirks.

"Louie, Eve had the baby. Come look at her. She's a beaut." Andy nods, motioning to the basinette containing the large baby.

"No, Flynn, I need to speak with you." Louie shakes his head, attempting to catch his breath when he reaches them.

He could tell by his friend's tone that something is terribly wrong. He hands his daughter to his step-son and walks over, still holding Sharon's hand. Andy lets it go, wrapping the arm around her, "What's going on?"

Louie glances around, then to his friend, "I got a message from sanitation and Hollywood division, of all people."

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Sharon shakes her head, this whole line of information was beginning to scare her.

He swallows, continuing, "Approximately three hours ago, Matthew Flynn was discovered on the sidewalk out front of his apartment building. Seems he climbed to the roof and...jumped." He takes a large picture from his pocket, crumpled and slightly torn from the glass shards that shattered against it, "He was holding this in a frame and this note." Provenza reaches into his other pocket, handing it over, "I'm sorry, Flynn."

Andy handed the articles to his wife, folding his hands at the knuckles behind his head, beginning to pace.

"Building was so tall, he wouldn't have felt anything." Louie swallows.

"Andy-" Sharon attempts to touch his arm.

He shrugs away from her, taking his hands from behind his head to speak with them, "My older daughter is on her way here to celebrate the birth of her niece...now I'm going to have to tell her that her brother is dead."

She tries again, "Andy there isn't anything that anyone could have done. He would have found a way."

Flynn slams his fist into the concrete wall and an audible crunch of his hand bones can be heard, "Damn it." He finally leans his back against the wall, slowly sliding down and letting his tears escape his eyes.

Sharon wraps her arms around him, her own tears falling from her emerald eyes. She looks up to Louie, "Tell whoever to inform Trudy." She speaks of Andy's ex-wife and mother to the young man.

Provenza nods, slowly lifting his head to look at the group of family staring at them, "I'm uh...I'm going to cut out. Rusty sent me pictures. Congrats."

"Thank you." She nods, speaking softly and still cradling her husband's head to her chest.

Mac jogs down the ward corridor with a grin on her face, "She have the baby?"

Louie turns, looking to the girl, "Yeah."

"What..." She pauses noticing her father and his now bleeding hand, "Something happen?"

Andy swallows, amounting the courage to stand and wrap his arms around his daughter in an almost bear-hug. He buries his face in her hair.

"Dad?" Mac looks up at him, "What happened?"

"Matt's gone. Louie said it was quick."

Sharon watches the whole display, taking a step back.

"No." Mac shakes her head, pushing away from her father, "No, I came here for my niece. No. Matt was doing great. We were writing letters."

Provenza shakes his head, "They think he stopped taking his medicine. That's what would have caused everything with Eve and Kate-"

"What? What are you talking about? I'm in the dark."

"Matt kidnapped Eve and Kate and pretended they were a part of his family that he had overseas." Sharon wipes her cheek. She never cried in front of everyone. It caused the young woman to know something happened.

"Matt...He's..." Mac looks back to her father.

Andy nods slowly.

The young woman doesn't react, almost as if she's numb. "The baby...I can see her in the window?"

"Mac-" He tries.

"I want to see my niece. I want to see Freya."

"Freya?" Sharon looks to her, "Where did that come from?"

"Eve liked it. Wrote me a list of names as one of her letters. That was at the top." Mac nods, "I'd like to see her, please."

Her stepmother swallows, nodding. She leads her to the window. Sharon stays close to the young woman, knowing she could snap as well.

"Hey, how about we go and take a walk?" Provenza looks to his friend, "It's a big hospital."

Andy glances to the group, then toward the empty corridor, "Just...could you take me home, Louie?"

"That's not a good idea and you-"

"Just, take me home." Flynn tells him.

Louie sighs, nodding, "Game is on. We can watch it."

"I just need to be alone right now, thanks. Could you drop me off? I want to leave the car for Sharon to get home later." Flynn's voice was quiet, above a whisper, but hoarse as anything.

"You should get that hand looked at first."

"Later. I'll do it later."

Provenza sighs, knowing this was a terrible idea and against all his better angels. He nods anyway, leading him down the corridor. He knows he never wants to ever feel the pain his friend is experiencing at the moment. He knows there's many ways to numb that pain. He knows he must keep his best friend from all of them.


End file.
